As the school year nears once again, teachers are going back into their giving spirit, which for most, includes delving into their wallets for classroom supplies.
A recent survey from the National Education Association found that with more than 90% of educators using their own money for “student supply fees,” schools are trying to find new ways to raise funds so teachers don’t have to.
Colin Sharkey, the executive director of the Association of American Educators, shared with The Hill last week that teachers having to use their own money to buy necessities for their students is ridiculous.
“It’s absurd that we are creating a situation where school teachers feel it’s necessary to dip into their own pocket, year after year, to provide for the students in their classroom,” Sharkey said.
The survey comes as reports have estimated that back-to-school spending will hit a record high this year of $41.5 billion, which would far surpass the previous record set in 2021, $37.1 billion.
The report from the National Retail Federation highlights that parents with children in K-12 are spending a record $890.07 on back-to-school this year, while college students and their families are spending $1,366.95, also a new high.
However, when looking at how much the average teacher will spend during the 2022-2023 school year, an analysis from My eLearning World found that, on average, teachers will spend $820.14 on classroom supplies.
According to estimates from ZipRecruiter, that’s almost a week’s worth of pay for what the average teacher makes in the U.S., $822.
Teachers are able to use spending on classroom expenses as a deduction on their yearly taxes, but the IRS caps that at $300, something Sharkey says needs to change.
“So we effectively have federal taxes on the money that teachers are spending out of pocket for essentials for classrooms for public schools, and I think that that can be corrected in a bipartisan fashion,” Sharkey told The Hill.
AAE is calling on the government to update the tax code so that each teacher can deduct up to $1,000 on their taxes for classroom supplies and up to $400 to go towards home internet expenses.
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