N.C. teachers spend hundreds on school supplies every year
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Every year, North Carolina teachers spend hundreds of dollars on staplers, cleaning products, index cards, notebooks, pens and a range of other necessary school supplies.
Why it matters: Teachers are investing their own money on school materials in a state ranking near the bottom nationally for educators' salaries.
By the numbers: The North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) doesn't have specific figures on how much the average public school teacher in the state spends out-of-pocket on school supplies each year.
- Wake County teachers spend an average of $926 on supplies, according to WakeEd Partnership.
- Nationally, teachers spend $500-$750 on school supplies every year, the National Education Association estimates.
What they're saying: "There is good reason to think N.C. teachers spend more than the average considering the drop in classroom material spending by the state," NCAE communications director Justin Guillory tells Axios.
What we're watching: If elected, North Carolina's Democratic nominee for governor, Attorney General Josh Stein, wants to bring back a tax-free holiday, which would include stipends for teachers buying school supplies for their classrooms.
Here are four ways you can support teachers throughout the state:
Classroom Central
- The Charlotte-based nonprofit provides free supplies to teachers and students in need in the Charlotte area.
- You can drop off supply donations Monday – Thursday from 9am until 12pm or at a local supply drive, like the one at Picture Project CLT Selfie Museum (5648 E. Independence Blvd.).
- You can also shop from their Walmart registry or Amazon Wish List, or donate funds here.
Resound Future Bilingual Educators Network
- The Charlotte-based nonprofit hires bilingual high school students as teaching interns to help them explore the path to becoming teachers. The goal is for students to have a teacher who speaks their language.
- Purchase an item from Resound Educators' wishlist or donate funds here.
Crayons2Calculators
Crayons2Calculators provides supplies to classrooms in Durham.
- You can buy supplies from the nonprofit's Amazon Wish List or Walmart registry, create your own fundraiser or donate funds here.
Tools4Schools
WakeEd Partnership's Tools4Schools store provides teachers with free classroom supplies.
- You can donate school supplies to the nonprofit year-round at 1816 Capital Blvd., Raleigh.
- Shop their Amazon Wish List. Donate funds here.