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August 7, 2024
Some Back-to-School Items Needed this Year
Teachers Need
Help with
School Supplies
By Beverly Corbell
Printer paper, pencils, glue
sticks, facial tissues, hand sani-
tizers and snacks are just a few of
the essential items that classroom
teachers must pay for out-of-pock-
et each year.
Teachers make only 76 percent
of the average salary of similarly
educated professionals in the pri-
vate sector, but must also pay for
school supplies. According to the
Learning Policy Institute, buying
classroom supplies is a hidden
cost for teachers.
On average, teacher’s annual
investment in school supplies rep-
resent about 13 percent of their
first month’s salary, and teachers
in schools with more students
from low-income households
spent about 20 percent more of
their own money on supplies.
According to the National Ed-
ucation Association, despite low
pay and high inflation, most ed-
ucators still pay hundreds of dol-
lars out of pocket every year for
classroom essentials. Teachers
spend an average of between $500
and $750 of their own money ev-
A teachers helping elementary school students with classwork
ery year on supplies their students
need, and prices for school sup-
plies increased almost 24 percent
in the last two years.
But that’s on the low end. The
NEA site states that teacher Dam-
mian Tucker, who teaches special
education in Tacoma, spends be-
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tween $1,500 and $2,000 on his
students every year.
“School supplies, snacks and
paper products for my class — it
adds up real fast,” he said.
And that’s not all, states the NEA.
“Out-of-pocket
classroom
expenses are greatest during
the back-to-school period, but
continue to add up throughout
the year,” the NEA stated. “Ed-
ucators report buying clothing,
winter gear, eyeglasses, food
and toiletries for students, on
top of classroom supplies and
teaching materials.”
That burden on teachers is the
reason many agencies, nonprof-
its and businesses sponsor school
supply drives to reduce back-to-
school expenses for teachers.
There’s hope for teachers in
the form of many school sup-
ply drives in Portland, including
KGW-TV, which hopes to col-
lect school supplies for 15,000
students, which would put a big
dent in supplies needed for over
19,000 elementary students in
Portland Public Schools.
The KGW school supply web-
site at kgwschool.com offers
several ways to help buy school
supplies. People can buy online
and have the supplies sent to a
specific school district, supplies
can be donated at dozens of busi-
nesses listed on the KGW site,
and folks can also contribute
money on the KGW site.
The nonprofit Friends of the
Children, at https://friendspdx.
org/news/school-supply-drive,
accepts gift certificates to Fred
Meyer, Bi-Mart and Amazon,
or cash donations, and provides
help in setting up a school sup-
ply drive by calling Amy Prince
at 971-340-1447 or email at ap-
rince@friendspdx.org.
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