FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2023
Contact: Christina Mazzanti
703-717-5333
christina@aaeteachers.org

Association of American Educators Survey
on Back-to-School Spending Reveals
Educators Spend Average of $673

Mission Viejo, CA – The Association of American Educators (AAE), a national professional association serving educators in all fifty states, today releases survey results illustrating how much our nation’s educators are spending on essential classroom supplies.

Nearly 97% of survey respondents are purchasing classroom supplies out-of-pocket with the average amount spent at $673 per year, more than double the $300 Educator Expense Deduction (EED). Classroom teachers earning between $35,000 and $50,000 are spending $715 on average and classroom teachers working in school districts with 75% or more students eligible for free or reduced price lunch are spending $761. Nearly four in ten teachers report the amount spent increases each year. Inflation and other factors are driving up the cost of school supplies, 25% higher than last year according to one study, which means even those educators who spend the same amount as last year are likely getting less for it.

“Our nation’s dedicated educators are dipping further into their own pockets to ensure our students have essential classroom supplies,” said AAE Executive Director Colin Sharkey. “We know nearly half of America’s teachers are parents, many of whom are also purchasing supplies for their own children, and none of our educators are immune from the pressures of inflation. A public school teacher earning $44,000 should not feel she has to spend 2% of her take home pay on essential school supplies for the classroom—and we certainly should not be taxing her on top of that sacrifice.”

Survey respondents report spending is primarily on everyday classroom and instructional supplies to support special projects, units, and activities. Educators also often spend money on basic student supplies (notebooks, pencils), food and snacks, prizes and birthday cards, classroom decorations, cleaning supplies, and basic necessities for students including deodorant, Band-Aids, and toothbrushes.

Strikingly, only 7% of survey respondents felt their students have what they need for academic success without out-of-pocket purchases. 35% feel their students lack what is needed even after they make generous out-of-pocket purchases.

68% of survey respondents receive funds from their school districts to purchase supplies, averaging $294 per classroom of those who receive funds. The 6% of survey respondents who receive between $500 and $1,000 per classroom report also spending $763 of their own money on average.

AAE has been advocating for an increase in the Educator Expense Deduction to $1,000 since 2020, and is again urging Congress to bring the deduction in line with the realities of educators’ out-of-pocket expenses and the skyrocketing cost-of-living. 94% of survey respondents endorsed this proposal.

The IRS increased the deduction cap from $250 to $300 in 2022, due to inflation. “If the Educator Expense Deduction had kept up with the consumer price index, the original $250 limit would be around $422 today,” added Sharkey. “The pressure to meet these unreimbursed costs must be relieved by increasing the current $300 Educator Expense Deduction cap to $1,000, and a portion of the cost of reliable home internet access, which is a standard tool for today’s educator, should be added as an allowable expense.” Nearly seven in ten survey respondents use their home internet service more than five hours each week to fulfill their duties as an educator, despite this expense not being eligible for the EED. 94% of respondents also support including some broadband costs in the deduction.

The survey, available to all AAE members, was conducted online August 8 – 11, 2023. Results are not weighted and are based on 1,151 professional educator completed surveys, the vast majority of which are by classroom teachers in public district schools.

The Association of American Educators (AAE) is the largest national, nonunion, professional educator organization, advancing the profession by offering a modern approach to educator empowerment and advocacy—promoting professionalism, collaboration, and excellence without a partisan agenda. AAE is committed to a teaching profession that is student oriented, well respected, and personally fulfilling. AAE serves members in all fifty states and welcomes professionals from all education entities. Membership includes $2 million professional liability insurance, employment rights coverage, professional resources, and many other benefits. Classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators, student teachers, university professors, and supporters can learn more at joinaae.org.

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