As teachers return to classrooms this year, many say the cost of supplies is taking a heavier toll on their wallets.
The 2024 survey results represent a 14 percent increase from 2023.
Last year, the organization asked 367 teachers the same questions related to out-of-pocket expenditures for classrooms.
Insights from this year’s Study.com poll also found that 64 percent of respondents had to forego personal items to cover classroom expenses.
Sixty percent said their spending on classroom supplies has increased over the past three years while nine out of 10 educators reported they continue facing financial hardship from back-to-school supply costs.
Meanwhile, ongoing price inflation in the United States has created another layer of burden for struggling educators.
The CPI observed significant inflation spikes in multiple sectors, including shelter (5.1), food (2.9), transportation services (8.8), and medical care services (3.3).
This represents the smallest CPI increase since 2021, but experts say prices are still hitting Americans, especially teachers.
Teachers say they’re already feeling the effects of inflated prices for the 2024–2025 school year.
Pay Rates Versus Inflation
“It’s true that inflation has increased the costs of these [classroom] expenses across the board,” middle school educator Erin Beers told The Epoch Times via text.As a teacher, Beers said she purchases classroom items that play a specific role in student engagement and community building. She also said she spends between $500 and $1,000 of her income per school year on classroom expenses.
“I purchase several paperback books every year for my classroom library and some of the newest titles my students request can be more than $10 for the paperback version,” Beers said.
“Another example is a reusable birthday chair cover I buy on Amazon every year to recognize our student birthdays. I just noticed the price this year is $20 instead of the $5 I had paid in 2022.”
She said the price is worth it since the items create a lot of positive engagement with students, but said the “nickel and dime” increase across the spectrum of consumer goods isn’t offset by the teaching industry’s average 3 percent salary increase.
Other educators agreed pay raises aren’t counterbalancing the inflated prices of classroom supplies.
“From K–12 to higher education, educators often invest a significant amount of their own income into ensuring their students have a well-equipped learning environment,” president of Academic Influence, Jed Macosko, told The Epoch Times in an email.
“These hidden costs, compounded by rising living expenses, highlight an often overlooked aspect of the teaching profession.”
In his experience as a university professor, Macosko said he’s seen the impact of rising supply costs on educators firsthand.
He also confirmed many teachers are spending upwards of $1,000 annually on things like books, art materials, and other items that enhance student engagement.
“This is often in addition to other out-of-pocket expenses, such as continuing education courses, professional certifications, and even classroom decor. None of which are typically reimbursed,” Macosko said.
However, when adjusted for inflation, the NEA said that teachers are making an average 5.3 percent less than they did 10 years ago.
Additionally, the NEA stated U.S. teachers are making 9 percent less than they did in 2009–2010, which is when the average U.S. educator salary peaked.
Today, teachers who are starting out make $4,273 less than the average salary in 2008–2009, once inflation is factored in.
“Pay raises or bonuses, while helpful, generally don’t keep pace with these rising costs, especially when factoring in inflation and the skyrocketing costs of housing and living expenses in many areas,” Macosko added.
Homeownership also includes affordability challenges.
That means teachers would need to make an annual salary of more than $90,000 to afford a home purchase in most urban markets.
Rewarding Students
A full-time adult education teacher in Ithaca, New York, said she has also felt the strain of increased costs in her classroom.“Yes, it’s more expensive. I don’t know if I’ll ever own my own home, based on what I do for a living,” Eileen, who asked to be identified by just her middle name, told The Epoch Times.
She works with adults who are trying to obtain their GED and also teaches English as a second language.
Eileen said the cost of living in New York has definitely increased since the COVID-19 pandemic but believes it’s important for students of all ages to have “little extras” in the classroom as a reward for hard work.
One of the things she does for her GED students is create small gift baskets to go along with their diplomas.
“It doesn’t feel right they [students] only get a little piece of paper and nothing else,” she said. That’s why she started putting together the goodie baskets.
“I see how hard they’re working. No one else outside the classroom really sees it,” Eileen said, adding, “It’s not a required part of my job, but I see how much these students are struggling to get their GEDs or get a job, so I want to do it.”
On average, Eileen said she spends around $300 per school year on rewards for her students. One year, she requested funding from administrators to help cover the costs of her classroom extras, but was “shot down.”
Regardless, she said she'll continue paying for these things out of pocket for as long as she can afford it.
While the cost of living in her state has gone up, she said pay raises have helped some.
“We did get a bump [in pay], starting in July this year. I think it’s definitely been helpful and to save a little bit easier,” Eileen said.
Like Eileen and Beers, Hayley Spira-Bauer, a lifelong educator and chief academic officer at Fullmind, has also spent hundreds of dollars on classroom supplies.
“On average, I personally spent between $500 to $1,000 of my own money each school year on classroom supplies when I was actively teaching,” Spira-Bauer told The Epoch Times via text.
She said this would include everything from basic materials like notebooks and pencils to specialized items like educational games, art supplies, and books.
Educators admit these expenditures aren’t always required, but they’re motivated to create a better learning experience for their students.
“The reality is that many of these expenses are driven by the desire to provide students with an engaging, high-quality education that goes beyond what the school budget can cover,” Spira-Bauer said.
Like many of her colleagues, Spira-Bauer has dealt with the financial juggling act of increased living costs and classroom essentials. This is especially true where she lives in Long Island, where the cost of living is particularly high.
“I’ve seen firsthand how these increased expenses put additional strain on educators,” she said.
“It’s not uncommon for teachers to make tough decisions between investing in their classrooms or managing their personal finances, which is a burden that no educator should have to bear.”
