If you’re shaking your head over the cost of school supplies for your children, it could be worse. You could be a teacher.
According to the Teacher Buying Behavior 2006n2007 report from Quality Education Data, teachers spend an average of $475 per year on materials for their classrooms. The pinch is worst for elementary school teachers, who average $539, while middle and high school teachers average $393 and $427, respectively. Many teachers would say those figures are conservative.
Educators should not have to spend so much of their own money on what in any other job would be considered necessary materials.
The Quality Education Data report found that most teachers use personal money to purchase student rewards (85 percent), materials for classroom decoration (75 percent) and professional materials (59 percent).
Rowan-Salisbury teachers don’t have to bankroll all supplies themselves. The board of commissioners set up a $375,000 fund in 2007-08 (and again this year) from which teachers could get up to $250 each. Surprisingly, some teachers didn’t take advantage of the fund, and more than $52,000 was left unspent. The county let the school system keep the remainder, but the policy will be stricter in the year ahead. Any money left over will revert to the county. The pressure is on administrators to make sure teachers know about the program and take advantage of it. Use it or lose it.
So some help is available for teachers. Now, back to parents and students.
Truth be told, when clothes are added to the equation, outfitting a child for school costs an average of $594.24 ó even more than teachers’ expenses. That is the forecast from the National Retail Federation Intentions and Actions Survey. No wonder the beginning of the school year is important to retailers. Sales are expected to total around $20 billion nationwide.
Good luck, teachers and families, as you meet the financial challenges of beginning a new school year. You’re helping the economy and, more important, setting the stage for children to learn. Few things are more valuable.