94% of US public school teachers paid for basic supplies out of their own pockets during the 2014-15 school year, with an average annual spending of $479. Teachers in schools with high levels of free or cut-price lunch programs spent the most. Primary school teachers and those in cities also spent more.
Nearly every public school teacher in America spends their own money to cover the cost of certain school supplies, according to results from a 2018 Department of Education survey. The survey found that 94 percent of teachers paid for notebooks, utensils supplies, markers, and other basic supplies, without refund, during the 2014-15 school year. About 7% of teachers surveyed said they spent more than US$1,000 out of pocket, but the average annual spending was US$479. Current federal tax laws allow teachers to claim a $250 annual deduction for the purchase of non-reimbursed school supplies.
Educational expenses:
How much money teachers spent depended on where they worked. For example, charter school teachers tended to spend less of their own money.
In schools where 75 percent or more of students participated in free or cut-price lunch programs, teachers tended to spend the most: an average of $554 a year.
According to the survey, primary school teachers spent more of their own money than secondary school teachers. Similarly, teachers in cities outspent their counterparts in suburban and rural schools.
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