Is $200 really enough to help your kid get the best education? Teachers are supposed to supply their classrooms with the money they’re given from the district. This is very difficult for them because they are not given enough to do that. They need about 15 supplies per year and that doesn’t include replacements for the broken items. Each teacher spends an average of $4-$7 per student, and that isn’t near enough for 30 students.

When two elementary school teachers were contacted, they stated that they were given $150-$200 per year for supplies among about 30 students. With about $4-$7 per student, that goes well over the budget. The average amount spent each year on school supplies by teachers is $479. If you divide that among 30 students, that is about $15 for each student. If the notebooks cost $1, the pencils cost $5, the paper is $7, and the pens are $7 and all of the costs haven’t been added, that is well over $7 per student. This causes many of the teachers to have to go into their own pocket by about $200. Even though teachers go into their own pocket, they don’t reimburse them for the amount that they pay. The PTA does the best that they can to raise money for the schools, but they fundraisers are mainly for field trips. Even if they raise lots of money, they focus on trips. This leaves the teachers with the leftover money. And sometimes, the PTA doesn’t raise as much money as the wanted.   This means that the supplies aren’t the only thing that they have to purchase. Supplies aren’t the only thing that the teachers need to purchase. They also purchase different aesthetic features for their classroom. This is another separate cost from the supplies. Teachers also don’t get paid nearly as much as they should, and when they have to dig into their own bank accounts and pay for something they shouldn’t, they have to save even more than they already have too for other personal needs.

Teachers having to pay to do their job is unacceptable. If the district is able to find some more money, don’t use it for high school. Don’t use it for middle school. Don’t use it for sports. Don’t use it to replace semi-used materials. Use it for elementary school funding. The amount that they are paid is not enough to help give their students the correct education that they require. If the districts job is to give the best education, then why are we not doing the best that they can to do that very thing.