U.S. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana has introduced a bill that would double the maximum amount teachers can deduct from their taxable income - for spending their own money on school supplies. “Right now a single teacher can deduct up to, depending on the amounts spent, $300 for classroom supplies that she or he buys personally. He’s not reimbursed for it. My bill would double that to $600.”
According to a report by the National Education Association (NEA), “Well over 90% of teachers spend their own money on school supplies and other items their students need to succeed.” The NEA report cited a previous New York Times article on teacher spending, explaining how educators averaged around $500 before the pandemic, and estimates of teacher spending have risen sharply in recent years. One analysis estimates educators actually spend more than $820 of their own money.
As Andrew Greenstein with the Louisiana Radio Network reports, Kennedy recognized that teachers spending their own money on school supplies is unfortunately very common. “Unfortunately, many of our teachers do have to go out of pocket to buy classroom supplies. So the least we can do is let them deduct it from their income tax.
Sen. Kennedy acknowledges that there is not enough time in the current session to take up the legislation and says he won’t advance the bill this year. Instead, Kennedy says he will reintroduce the measure when the 119th Congress convenes next month.
He says it’s shame that he has to propose such a bill in the first place. “I would like to live in a world where teachers don’t have to come out of pocket to buy classroom supplies or anything. And if it was up to me, I would give then an unlimited deduction.”
In a white paper released by the NEA, it cited that under resourced schools and the unstated expectation that educators will spend their own money on supplies and equipment are factors that drive educators away from the profession. The paper concluded that when you add low teacher pay to the equation, it makes out-of-pocket spending even more challenging. And it becomes “another major factor driving the educator shortage crisis.” That could help explain why a 2022 national survey [and published by EdWeek.org], found just 12% of teachers were very satisfied with their jobs.
