Print Column: North Dakota Teachers Are Spending Millions on Their Own Supplies and It’s Ridiculous
MINOT, N.D. — Most school teachers have to buy supplies for their classrooms with money from their own pockets.
It’s happening nationally. In a study released in 2018 the U.S. Department of Education found 94 percent of teachers had gone out of pocket for things they needed for the classroom, with the average amount coming in at $479. About 7 percent of teachers reported spending more than $1,000.
It’s happening in North Dakota too. A representative of the Bismarck Education Association told Bismarck Tribune reporter Blair Emerson teachers in their area are spending anywhere from $200 to $1,500 per year, with elementary school teachers paying the most.
It doesn’t matter where you live, teachers at your local public schools are spending their own money to purchase things to help educate our kids.
