Teachers Need Help with School Supplies
A student with their backpack surrounded by school supplies
Printer paper, pencils, glue sticks, facial tissues, hand sanitizers and snacks are just a few of the essential items that classroom teachers must pay for out-of-pocket each year.
Teachers make only 76 percent of the average salary of similarly educated professionals in the private sector, but must also pay for school supplies. According to the Learning Policy Institute, buying classroom supplies is a hidden cost for teachers.
On average, teacher’s annual investment in school supplies represent about 13 percent of their first month’s salary, and teachers in schools with more students from low-income households spent about 20 percent more of their own money on supplies.
According to the National Education Association, despite low pay and high inflation, most educators still pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket every year for classroom essentials. Teachers spend an average of between $500 and $750 of their own money every year on supplies their students need, and prices for school supplies increased almost 24 percent in the last two years.
But that’s on the low end. The NEA site states that teacher Dammian Tucker, who teaches special education in Tacoma, spends between $1,500 and $2,000 on his students every year.
“School supplies, snacks and paper products for my class — it adds up real fast,” he said.
And that’s not all, states the NEA.
“Out-of-pocket classroom expenses are greatest during the back-to-school period, but continue to add up throughout the year,” the NEA stated. “Educators report buying clothing, winter gear, eyeglasses, food and toiletries for students, on top of classroom supplies and teaching materials.”
That burden on teachers is the reason many agencies, nonprofits and businesses sponsor school supply drives to reduce back-to-school expenses for teachers.
There’s hope for teachers in the form of many school supply drives in Portland, including KGW-TV, which hopes to collect school supplies for 15,000 students, which would put a big dent in supplies needed for over 19,000 elementary students in Portland Public Schools.
The KGW school supply website at kgwschool.com offers several ways to help buy school supplies. People can buy online and have the supplies sent to a specific school district, supplies can be donated at dozens of businesses listed on the KGW site, and folks can also contribute money on the KGW site.
The nonprofit Friends of the Children, at https://friendspdx.org/news/school-supply-drive, accepts gift certificates to Fred Meyer, Bi-Mart and Amazon, or cash donations, and provides help in setting up a school supply drive by calling Amy Prince at 971-340-1447 or email at aprince@friendspdx.org.
Rose Haven, a day shelter, lists several drop-off locations for school supplies at its website rosehaven.org/helping/donate-school-supplies. For more information, call 503-248-6364, ext. 0303 or email Angel at astech@rosehaven.org.
The Portland Refugee Support Group, at https://tinyurl.com/2xfhw96r, is also sponsoring a drive for backpacks filled with supplies. The website suggests residents get a school supply list from a neighborhood school, fill the backpack with supplies and put a tag on indicating what grade it is for. For more details, contact Kristi at JustServeRefugees@gmail.com.
Since 2018, Operation Back to School has provide 650 fully loaded backpacks to children in Washington and Multnomah counties, by monetary donations through its website at operationbacktoschoolcmh.org.
The nonprofit Impact NW (impactnw.org/news/school-supply-drive-donations) which is focused on preventing homelessness, is also holding a school supply drive through donations, buying supplies from the organization’s Amazon wish list, or dropping off school supply items at the Dancing Tree Family Center at 10055 E. Burnside.
The Gresham Salvation Army is also working to donate school supplies, underwritten by a recent $29,000 donation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints for back-to-school supplies for kids in Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington counties, as well as shoes and socks for women, children and veterans living in shelters. Details at https://tinyurl.com/34w2r8x3
The Free Store for Teachers (https://schoolhousesupplies.org/programs/shopping) provides school supplies at no cost to classrooms in the Centennial, David Douglas, Gresham-Barlow, Parkrose, Portland Public and Reynolds school districts. Teachers at schools where 50 percent or more of students qualify for free and reduced lunch are also eligible to shop. For more details, contact info@schoolhousesupplies.org. The store accepts cash donations and is also supported by more than 20 local businesses and charities.
There may be other entities, including churches and local grocery stores, that also sponsor back to school programs. Fred Meyer, for example, partners with both Salvation Army and KGW-TV.
Supply lists vary from school to school, so check with your local school district to see what is needed. Back-to-school supplies for each of Portland Public Schools’ 86 schools can be found at the website https://app.teacherlists.com/browse/city/Portland/Oregon