Nine in 10 teachers spend their own money—often hundreds of dollars—on classroom supplies, finds a new analysis of federal data.
In the 2014-15 school year, 94 percent of public school teachers spent their own money on classroom supplies without reimbursement, according to the 2015-16 National Teacher and Principal Survey, a nationally representative survey of teachers and principals that’s conducted by the U.S. Department of Education.
On average, these teachers spent $479 of their own money on classroom supplies without reimbursement. That’s up from the 2006-07 school year, when 92.4 percent of public school teachers spent their own money on supplies, about $450 on average, the data show. (The numbers were not adjusted for inflation.)
Forty-four percent of teachers spent $250 or less, while 36 percent spent between $251 and $500. Thirteen percent spent between $501 and $1,000, and 7 percent spent more than $1,000.
