How much do you spend out of pocket each year on classroom supplies?

SOS (www.SupplyOurSchools.org), is a Reston, VA based non-profit that matches donors to teachers in under-privileged areas. Supply Our Schools is like a registry for teachers in US public schools - teachers specify what they need and Donors purchase supplies that are sent straight to the teacher.

Here is a Supply List created by Ms. Booker, a teacher in DC:
http://www.supplyourschools.org/donor-supply-detail-nonmem.asp?TeacherID=14 and a short description that she has written about herself and her students:

“I am a second year teacher in Washington, Dc. This year I have been challenged by being asked to teach a 4/5 combination class. Because I like to do a variety of creative hands- on activities in the classroom, it would benefit my students to have more art supplies such as colored paper, construction paper, paint, paint brushes and colored pencils. (any other supply you can think of may help as well.) Great pencil sharpeners are hard to come by and because of this, we do not have a working pencil sharpener in the classroom, which proves to be difficult when trying to service 29 students. In advance, I am truly thankful for any support that comes to my students and myself.”

Here are some thank you notes from children at a HS in rural Oklahoma (http://www.supplyourschools.org/donor-TYNotes.asp?DonationID=15) who received supplies from a donor through Supply Our Schools:

Thank you for the colored pencils. We will use them every day! Kara

Dear Donor, Thank you for your generosity! We really appreciate the colored pencils. We use them all the time to color maps and stuff. Thank you. Kaylee
Dear Donor, Thank you so much for the colored pencils. We will think of you when we use them in Art. We appreciate your kindness and generosity. Jeryn
Thank you for the pencils. I use them to color maps and to do art projects. Thank you for donating them to us. Riley
Dear Donor, I help the younger 4-H kids with their art projects and I wanted to thank you for the colored pencils. We will think of you as we work on our projects . Thank you for your generosity. Trista

And more from children in Oregon: (http://www.supplyourschools.org/donor-TYNotes.asp?DonationID=45 ) who received library books and school supplies

A Donor can also buy supplies on someone else’s name and they will receive Thank you notes (via email) from the teachers and children who have benefitted from your generosity.

Another teacher told me that there was something new with tax laws for teacher's this year but I can never get her to slow down and tell me about it. Has anyone else heard anything or is she just confused?

I have spent around $2500 per year for 22 years.

I was wondering if I could get a deduction on the money spent on a new laptop, if I have proof that I work as a tutor and pay taxes on the money I earn? I get a 1099 for tax purposes. My husband seems to think since I am an independent contractor/self employed individual, I can claim a new laptop. Any thoughts??? Thanks!!

It's a travesty that businesspeople can write off expensive lunches, golf matches, office equipment, etc., as long as it involved clients or was for the business. But if educators spend more than $250 on books, magazines, films, or other educational materials for their classrooms they can't write it off. In 2003 I even used my money from coaching volleyball to buy my own laptop because dealing with our school's outdated Apple G3s was taking up so much of my time.

I think when I was a classroom teacher I just wrote off however much I spent and luckily I was never audited. When people in other (often more male-dominated) professions have limits on what they can write off, I'll gladly stick to the rules.

Not much will change until we protest.

Like most teachers, I spend my own money throughout the school year. I do receive some money from the state of Florida to spend accordingly. However, each year the money that comes from the state decreases.

My school has set up a system that does help some of us. We set up a fund that the parents contribute to. Each class has their own fund. The parents are asked to give $10.00 each semester. This is a voluntary program and we do not enforce it. I usually get money from half of my parents. The teachers use this money mainly for special projects. For example, when I teach our M&M math unit, I use the money from the fund to purchase the M&M's. This of course is a fraction of what I spend on my classroom but every little bit adds up!

Last year I bought my own SmartBoard. Tired of waiting after keeping my requests to bare minimum from school and just asking for a SB for 3 years. Then our school gets a grant for SB and other materials but the grant is only for math and science classrooms. Imagine my frustration. I am 59 and use more technology in my English classroom than most other younger teachers. Teaching in a small, poor, rural school means that if I want it I have to buy it. Spent over $8,000 last year, but won't do that again. It's almost as if the altruistic natures of teachers and our desire to give the best to our kids enables the districts to shirk their duty.

I agree wholecloth with KY.

My accountant told me to claim the $600 that I spent out of pocket on school materials when I filed my taxes. We were audited ... and these were not allowed and caused us to have to pay. So beware ... you are only allowed to claim $250. The moral of my story is ... I am not going to spend more than $250 on school any more. Even if my students and I have to do without!