Survey: NC teachers spend more of their own money on school supplies than most others

Photo: Governor Cooper's 2018 school supply drive

North Carolina teachers spend an average of more than $1,300 per year of their own money on school supplies, a new survey says, ranking the state fourth highest in the nation for such expenses.

The average teacher in the state spends $1,338 a year on classroom supplies, more than the national average of $915, a recent CouponBirds survey found.

Only teachers in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Arizona spend more out of pocket on classroom materials than teachers in North Carolina, according to the survey. The study, conducted last month, found that 93% of teachers use their own money to purchase materials like pencils, papers, markers or even lab equipment.

While per-student state spending increased by $1,300 between 2008 and 2020, it has not kept pace with the rising cost of living. When adjusted for inflation, North Carolina’s funding for public education fell by 10% during that period. The state continues to experience a large teacher vacancy problem.

Teachers have long spent their own money on school supplies for their classrooms, but as prices increase, the impact is being felt more. The cost of school supplies jumped nearly 24% from 2020 to 2023, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

In the state’s largest school district, Wake County Public School teachers spend an average of $926 out of their own pockets for classroom supplies each year, according to the Wake Ed Partnership .

Last month, Gov. Roy Cooper announced the beginning of the Governors School Supply Drive, which will run from July 15 to August 9, encouraging people across the state to donate school supplies in support of public schools, students, and teachers.

“It’s unfortunate that teachers still have to dip into their own pockets to buy some of the school supplies for their classrooms and this is a way all of us can help,” Cooper said. “Donating school supplies is a way to support the learning environment while giving our teachers the respect they deserve.”

Key takeaways from the CouponBird study:

• On average, teachers across the U.S. spend $915 per year of their own money on supplies.
• Teachers in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Arizona spend the most out of pocket on classroom materials.
• A solid 26% of teachers have taken on a second job, side hustle, or summer job to offset their first job’s expenses.
• Parents will spend an average of $701 per child on back-to-school goods, including clothing and backpack fillers.
• Not surprisingly, 28% of parents themselves have taken on a second job or side hustle to offset back-to-school expenses.