INDIANAPOLIS — As the clock counts down to the first day of school, it’s not just students and parents doing back to school shopping. Teachers are, too. And they’re spending a lot of their own money.
Studies show teachers, on average, spend well into the hundreds of dollars every year on school supplies for their students.
“I think people have an assumption that a teacher walks into a classroom and it's going to be sparkling clean and fully loaded with all the scissors and pencils and so on,” said Margaret Sheehan. “But those days are gone.”
Sheehan is executive director of Teachers’ Treasures, a nonprofit teacher store stocked with supplies that have been donated or purchased with support from the community. For a $30 access fee, teachers can shop there each year. Some districts pay that fee so teachers like Amanda Long don’t have to pay a dime.
“This means I have more than I can invest in my family,” said Long. “I can do my job well and still be there not having to make choices about where my hard-earned money goes.”
Sheehan said last year, Teachers Treasures gave away $13 million in school supplies to teachers across Indianapolis and Marion County. She said students shouldn’t be punished if their family can’t afford supplies.
“It's not the child's fault that they don't have that item,” she said. “The teacher's making sure the child has confidence and wants to come to school and be just like every other kid. This is just a really easy way to help these families and make sure that child has a smile on their face and a clean box of crayons.”
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Feeding hungry students
Teachers say they’re also spending more of their own money on food and snacks. According to No Kid Hungry, “60% of teachers routinely use their own money to buy food for students, with the average teacher spending $300 per year.”
“Most of the teachers that I know have a stash of snacks .... whether that's for kids who can't make it to lunch or kids who come in hungry,” Long said.
Some school districts are doing more. Greenwood Community Schools just announced it has secured federal grant funding to provide free breakfast and lunch to students beginning this year.
“I am really excited about being able to relieve this burden from our families.” said Greenwood Food Service Director Lesli Hicks in a post on Facebook.
“I ran into a parent who has a couple of kids and she said the biggest thing is that every little bit adds up and this helps her family out in numerous ways,” said Greenwood Schools Supt. Dr. Terry Terhune. “This is making a positive impact on our community.”