It’s August 11, and some area schools have already started back for the fall semester. For parents, the back to school season is riddled with mixed emotions. It’s the end of the free energy of summer, which often means sleeping in later and the chance for quality family time together, whether it’s a cross-country road trip or a night of camping in Deep Creek.
What anyone who turns on the TV or walks into a WalMart can tell you is it’s also the season for back to school shopping. Not only will you be making sure your students have school clothes and shoes for the new year, but you’ll also be following that (often lengthy) list of necessary school supplies.
Back to school shopping is no joke. For many families, it represents a big chunk of their expenses for the month. According to an article published this time last year in Forbes, parents spend more than $1,000 on back to school expenses.
For teachers, the expense is also daunting. Not only are they saying goodbye to vacation time, but in preparing to open the classroom doors for another year, they too are purchasing supplies. According to the same article, teachers are spending an average of $500 in back to school supplies. Teachers just starting out may even spend more.
Over the past decade, state funding for district school supplies have been cut nearly in half, while the number of students enrolled in many school districts have risen.
While the state legislature has certainly not been immune to the budgetary challenges of the economic recession and its lasting effects, it seems unfair that teachers are having to pick up the slack in budgetary cuts.
For many workers, the concept of having to provide your own supplies would seem laughable. Of course, purchasing your own personal supplies of clothing and even a few items you use on the job is reasonable, but spending over $500 annually on supplies for your co-workers to use or the people you provide services for? Just imagine that.
Additionally, North Carolina’s leadership eliminated the annual tax-free weekend, which for many parents may not make a big impact. For others, though, those savings at the checkout offer the chance to spend elsewhere, perhaps on buying better ingredients for home cooked meals.
Has the North Carolina legislature made a good move in increasing teacher pay in this year’s budget? Certainly. But these extra expenses of school supplies shouldn’t be left for individual teachers to fund.