School supplies aren't cheap for teachers or students

Once upon a time, a notebook and a few pencils were all most students needed for their school work.

Not any more. Schoolkids need highlighters, protractors, three-pronged folders, mechanical pencils — the list goes on and on.

Although teachers try their best to keep families’ budgets in mind, the National Retail Federation estimates parents of K-12 students will collectively spend $27.3 billion on school supplies for the upcoming school year, which kicks off this Wednesday.

“I remember, my children – they’re in college now – I was always shocked to get the supply list,” said Kim Hunt, former Space Coast Jr./Sr. High teacher and a member of Brevard Teachers for Change, a group of teachers working for "better union representation."

In low-income areas of the county, school supplies are a luxury, said Elizabeth Schreiber, who helped organize the Supply Zone for Teacher's annual drive last weekend. More than 2,000 kids registered to get supplies at the former Clearlake Middle School in Cocoa, where a line of families wrapped around the building.

Five elementary schools with 100 percent of their students on free and reduced lunch benefited from the drive, where kids got all of the supplies for their grade, a backpack, three books and a lunch for the day.

“Kids who come to school unprepared – they’re nervous, they’re not ready to learn,” said school board chair Andy Ziegler. “It’s better that they’re excited about school, and this really helps them get a great start.”

Teachers from schools with a high percentage of low-income students can visit the Supply Zone twice a year to stock up on $300 worth of materials at no cost.

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The retail value of the donated supplies given to each child was $46, although, according to the National Retail Federation, parents plan to spend more than $600 on school supplies, clothes and electronics this year.

Teachers will shell out even more this back-to-school season.

A 2013 study by the Education Market Association found that teachers spent nearly $1,000 each of their own money on classroom supplies. That adds up to $1.6 billion that teachers spend out of their own pockets.

The state lends some help through the Teacher Classroom Supply Assistance Program, explained Brevard Public Schools spokeswoman Michelle Irwin, which allocates around $250 to eligible teachers. But Katie Johnson, a sixth grade teacher at Quest Elementary in Melbourne, says keeping supplies under $250 would be a stretch. Last year, she spent $1,000.

Lindsey Forgino, who teaches kindergarten through third grade at Roy Allen Elementary in Melbourne, guessed she spent even more – $1,500 at least. This year, she’s making a conscious effort to cut back.

“It’s paycheck to paycheck,” she said of her salary. “It would be nice if there were more money, especially for exceptional education classrooms because we don’t have everything that we think our students will benefit from.”

It takes a lot more than desks and chairs to accommodate students, she explained, with many teachers adding wiggle chairs, bean bags and exercise balls to the mix. In fact, research shows that kids learn better when they’re moving, said John Ratey, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

“There’s tons of data, tons of studies showing that if the kids are exercising, moving, having recess, having P.E. that their grades are better, their attention’s better, their time on task is longer,” explained Ratey. “ … The activity turns the brain on and readies the brain and the child to pay attention.”

Alternative seating is a coveted commodity among teachers, but one they can’t usually afford. Picking up where the state leaves off are websites such as Teachers Pay Teachers, where teachers can swap and sell projects, and DonorsChoose.org, a site similar to GoFundMe that collects donations. Teachers can even get free refurbished computers through Computers Advancing Education.

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Through DonorsChoose, Forgino raised the $800 she needed for smartboard equipment. Brittany Calden, who just moved from Alabama to teach kindergarten at Endeavor Elementary Magnet in Cocoa, is currently taking donations to buy wiggle chairs for her class.

“I want my students to have the best, and with a teacher salary, I can’t do it all on my own,” she said. “ … I can’t imagine being 5 years old and having to sit still all day.”

Usually spending around $600 of her money, Calden said it’s important for her classroom to feel like home.

“Even if that means a lot of money coming out of my own pocket, I’m willing to do that,” the third-year teacher said.

Creating a positive classroom environment is also a focus at the university level, including at the University of Central Florida.

“There definitely is attention to the physical environment of the classroom, even down to the furniture,” said Pamela Carroll, dean of the College of Education and Human Performance.

It’s usually younger teachers who are more willing to put in their own cash, said Hunt, a veteran teacher of 17 years. She estimated she spent only a couple hundred dollars during her time in the classroom, noting that the big buys are usually one-time purchases that will last for years.

“We know what we’re facing; we’re more realistic,” she said. “Now, a first-year teacher is not making much less than a 15-year teacher. So that 15-year teacher is saying ‘I’ve had enough.’”

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It’s especially difficult given the short amount of time teachers have to decorate their classrooms, she added. Most don’t have access over the summer, and if they do, they’re without A/C.

“They’re not given the hours in their classroom that they need to be preparing their classrooms,” said Hunt. “The district does not allow enough time to do this.”

Contact Glenn at caglenn@floridatoday.com or 321-576-5933, or follow her on Twitter @bycarolineglenn.

Make sure you've got everything your child needs for the first day of school at school-supply-list.com.

Resources for teachers to get affordable supplies:

- Teachers pay teachers: Teachers trade and sell projects, lesson plans and classroom decor

- DonorsChoose.org: Similar to GoFundMe, teachers can ask for donations for specific projects

- Supply Zone for Teachers: Teachers at schools with high percentages of low-income students can get supplies twice a year

- Computers Advancing Education: Teachers can get free refurbished computers