Nearly every public school teacher in America spends his or her own money to cover the cost of some school supplies, according to the results of a 2018 Department of Education survey. The survey found that 94 percent of teachers paid for notebooks, writing utensils, markers, and other basic supplies -- without reimbursement -- during the 2014-15 school year. About 7 percent of the teachers surveyed said that they spent in excess of $1,000 USD of their own money, but the average annual expenditure was $479. Current federal tax laws allow teachers to claim an annual $250 deduction for unreimbursed classroom supplies purchases.
Educational expenses:
- The amount of money spent by teachers depended on where they worked. For example, teachers at charter schools tended to spend less of their own money.
- In schools where 75 percent or more of the students participated in free or reduced-price lunch programs, teachers tended to spend more -- $554 a year, on average.
- Elementary school teachers spent more of their own money than secondary school teachers, the survey found. Likewise, teachers in cities spent more than their counterparts in suburban and rural schools.