Teachers Nationwide are Breaking the Bank to Pay for Classroom Supplies

With back-to-school season in full-swing, it's no shock that teachers and parents alike may be scrambling to budget and buzz in preparation for the new school year.

Teachers, in their typical altruistic fashion, are gathering whatever supplies they can (within their expansive budgets, of course) to ensure their students are equipped with necessary tools for learning. Parents are doing their best by filling up backpacks with enough cobbled together materials to help their children succeed.

The big difference here? Where myriad guardians are naturally expected to use their hard-earned money to help foster student success, teachers are now sharing the burden with them – perhaps more than ever anticipated.

We're exploring the increasing efforts of teachers who personally help fund their classrooms as well as the financial requirements parents face when preparing their children for another school year to shed light on what it really takes to prioritize education across the board.

Key Takeaways

• On average, teachers spend $915 per year of their own money on supplies

• Teachers in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Arizona spend the most out of pocket on classroom materials

• A solid 26% of teachers have taken on a second job, side hustle, or summer job to offset their first job's expenses

• Parents will spend an average of $701 per child on back-to-school goods, including clothing and backpack fillers

• Not surprisingly, 28% of parents themselves have taken on a second job or side hustle to offset back-to-school expenses

It's clear that teachers across the United States are spending a significant chunk of personal money to enhance learning environments for students, but spending even more per year than the average parent? That's too much.

Let's dig in to understand the extent and impact of these generous yet imperative investments – and how they shape and education as a whole.

How Much Are Teachers Spending Out of Their Pockets?

It's not just pens and pencils in junior high, folks: teachers from all grade levels are actively contributing to their classrooms (sorry, K-5):

• Elementary School: 41%

• Middle School: 23%

• High School: 36%

An overwhelming majority of teachers surveyed – 93% overall – dip into their own pockets to help foster classroom ambiance and academic success. This commitment to providing necessary resources is lovely, but nothing new. The fact that spending continues to go up and that most teachers have to assume this responsibility (no matter their salary) is what's getting old.

So why do these near-saints continue to fork out their hard-earned cash each back-to-school season (and every other one)? Simple. Teachers believe their classrooms – and the students within them – would suffer without personal spending. In fact, 77% of respondents are in this camp, 3% aren't really sure if that would be the case, and 20% say their classrooms would be just fine without the extra help.

Of course, teachers are paid back at the end of every school year for what they've purchased.

Yeah. We'd love to be in that world, too.

What Items Are Purchased Most by Teachers?

It would be one thing if teachers were just purchasing a handful required basics they needed (think extra pens, pencils, paper, etc.), but they aren't – they're investing in a variety of items to enrich the educational experience of their students as a whole:

• Consumable School Supplies: 97%

• Classroom Decor: 76%

• Educational Aids (Books, Games, etc.): 67%

• Snacks: 44%

• Cleaning Supplies: 36%

• First Aid Supplies: 31%

Pretty amazing, right? And this doesn't include all "in the flow" purchases, like spontaneous donuts/special treats, subscription or material charges, and whatever else might come up when you're invested and care about student enjoyment and efficacy.

Despite their contributions, 65% of teachers have their requests denied by the appropriate sources. Speaking of contributions, just how much are we talking about? Here's the breakdown:

• $1 - $99: 8%

• $100 - $249: 11%

• $250 - $499: 14%

• $500 - $749: 30%

• $750 - $999: 28%

• $1000+: 9%

With the nationwide average expenditure sitting at approximately $915 per year per teacher according to the above data, there's no question about their intent: let's work together to learn.

There are notable regional disparities when it comes to this average, though, as the financial burden isn't evenly distributed across the nation:

• Highest Spending States: Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Indiana, Missouri

• Lowest Spending States: Louisiana, Oklahoma, Idaho, South Dakota, West Virginia

As much as you might hear about teachers going through the grind of (at least) two jobs to manage, well, their first one, thankfully only 26% of those we polled had to obtain a second side hustle to make it happen.

The High Cost of Back-to-School: Parents Edition

Yes, parents, we see you, too. Sending kids back to school is always a costly effort for parents (no matter what that cost is) and the data proves just how much families typically budget for this annual event:

• $0 - $99: 3%

• $100 - $249: 17%

• $250 - $499: 24%

• $500 - $749: 32%

• $750 - $999: 15%

• $1000+: 9%

Parents' expenditures per child is estimated at an average $701 per year, but encompasses all of the things needed for school, from clothing to basic supplies to class-specific items. And, just like teacher expenditures, what parents spend on their children's back to school varies significantly depending on where you live:

• Highest Spending States: New York ($1,123), Florida ($1,095), California ($1,078)

• Lowest Spending States: Louisiana ($321), Mississippi ($336), West Virginia ($352)

For some parents, like for some teachers, covering these expenses means taking on extra work. Thankfully, only 28% of parents we asked need a second job to make sure their children are adequately equipped.

Understanding these costs and being aware of what students need (not just what they want) can help families prepare better – whether through early savings, seeking out discounts and deals, or the ever-trendy side hustle. Ultimately, both teachers and parents want to do whatever they can to ensure the kids in their care have the resources needed to succeed not just academically, but socially, emotionally, and psychologically.

Cue the broken record: teachers' personal financial contributions are indispensable in shaping a positive learning environment. Despite these efforts, many educators face challenges in securing adequate resources through traditional channels.

So, what can be done? This disparity in spending across states represents a need for broader support and investment in education to alleviate this financial burden, and recognizing these challenges is the first crucial step to ensure a shift toward ensuring all students – each and every one – have access to the resources they need to thrive.

Methodology

This survey was conducted in July 2024 across a pool of 2,500 American teachers (50 per state) and a pool of 2,500 American parents of school-age children (50 per state). The teacher pool was 70% women, 26% men, and 4% other; the parent pool was 52% women, 46% men, and 2% other.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.