Inflation hits teachers hard as school supplies costs rise

If you've been shopping for school supplies, this won't come as a shock: the cost of school supplies has increased 25% since 2020.

It is more difficult than ever for parents whose children are going back to school and for teachers who often have to dig deep into their pockets to ensure their classrooms are equipped.

Channel 11 sat down with local educators and an organization working to find solutions.

Due to inflation, teachers earn 5 percent less than they did ten years ago, but spend hundreds more.

According to the National Education Association, teachers spend about $673 each year on school supplies.

The school districts where the three educators we spoke to work vary in size, demographics and location, but the problem is universal

“What people don't understand when they complain about their property taxes is that they keep going up even though the legislature hasn't increased the budget for schools,” says Angela Griol, who teaches in the Elizabeth Forward School District.

Some districts provide teachers with a small annual grant for classroom supplies. Others may claim tax rebates. The vast majority of school districts in our region cannot.

“My district provides me with a budget, but we see the budget shrinking year after year,” said Griol.

“I have a great administrator and he gives us a wish list, but most of my work I pay for out of my own pocket,” says Tracy Johns, who teaches in Pittsburgh Public Schools.

There is local help for some teachers. Last school year, a local nonprofit, the Education Partnership, provided free teaching materials to 191 schools, or 10,000 teachers.

“Without Ed Partnership, my children would not have had pencils, pens, markers or glue, that’s the big problem,” says Josie Dusold, who has been a teacher for 28 years.

To qualify, at least 70% of a district's student body must receive free or reduced-price lunch. Executive Director Josh Whiteside says there are 100 other schools in the region that qualify but are not affiliated.

“There are many, many, many schools in southwestern Pennsylvania that simply do not have the capacity to provide their teachers with everything they need to teach effectively and the way they want to teach,” Whiteside said.

Channel 11 checked in with these teachers to see how this program is filling the gaps.

“I want to make the lessons as exciting as possible, so I adapt to the culture of the students,” Johns explains. “That's part of teaching. You need these materials and the engagement of the students so they feel safe and can open up.”

As the cost of school supplies continues to rise and teacher salaries remain the same, we asked our educators an important question: Can they expect it to become too much at some point? For this group, the answer was no.

“I was born a teacher, I knew since second grade that I would become a teacher,” said Dusold.

“Teachers need to make more money, we need to too, but we are not going to give up our jobs because that is not the case. We keep coming back and working harder,” Griol added.

Click here for more information about the educational partnership.

Download the FREE WPXI News App for breaking news.

Follow Channel 11 News on on facebook. And Þjórsárdalur. | Watch WPXI NOW

CURRENT TRENDS:

Search warrant served as part of City of Pittsburgh's P-Card investigation. Arrest made in connection with fatal shooting of 20-year-old Aliquippa woman found in alley. Walmart slashes prices on 7,200 items. VIDEO: Good Samaritan shot 8 times while trying to help suspect has long road to recovery. Download the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts.