Majority of teachers surveyed use their own cash for school supplies
Nearly nine in 10 teachers surveyed have used their own money to pay for classroom supplies, according to a study byRetailMeNot.com and the Omnibus Company.
The study surveyed 325 K-12 teachers in the U.S. at the end of May. A main goal of the study is to increase awareness of the impact that nationwide cuts have on education funding. The survey’s margin-of-error is 5.4 percentage points.
Forty-five percent of teachers in public and private schools who have spent their own money on school supplies would be willing to spend more than $100 in a school year, the study found. Public school teachers were the most willing to spend more than $100 on school supplies.
Teachers were also willing to make sacrifices in their personal lives to buy supplies for their students.
Fifty-three percent of the group indicated they would cut back on eating out, while 45 percent would spend less on entertainment. Thirty-five percent would cut back on clothing and shoe expenses.
Younger teachers were more willing to cut back on their own expenses to provide for students. The study found that teachers 18 to 34 were more willing to cut back than those 35 and older – 85 percent