As students gear up to return to school on September 4th, over 3,000 public school teachers in New York City are projected to spend an unprecedented $42,000 for each student.
Sheri Jackson, teaching fifth graders at Kip All Middle School in Mott Haven, is one of the 3,385 educators relying on DonorsChoose to fund classroom needs that aren’t met by the school’s budget.
“I’m looking for money for bandages,” she mentioned, noting that hygiene items like deodorants and menstrual products are just as critical for her low-income students as basic school supplies. “I can’t just approach the Ministry of Education and say I need Bandaids or sanitary napkins. My students need these supplies—and they look to me for them,” Jackson explained.
Jackson added, “We often have to pay for things from our own pockets. It’s not provided for us, which is why I turn to DonorsChoose.”
Erica Yorkes, a high school art teacher focused on legal advocacy and community justice, echoed Jackson’s sentiments. In addition to hygiene products, she also needs art supplies, highlighting how educators often find themselves expected to provide essential materials for their work. “There’s no other profession where you’re expected to supply your own basics to do your job effectively, let alone for your students,” she remarked.
Yorkes shared that for teaching 150 students, she would receive about $400 for supplies from the school, which amounts to roughly $3 per student.
Last year, under the Teacher Choice Program, teachers received a $235 refund for supplies if they submitted receipts. However, with no refund available this year, many teachers feel that the funding covers only a fraction of what they anticipate spending in the year to come.
The Department of Education (DOE) claims it funds schools based on a per-student model, with the Citizens’ Budget Committee estimating a per-student expenditure of $42,168 this year, up from $40,639 last year. Yet, requests from NYC teachers on DonorsChoose have already reached $4.1 million as the school year kicks off.
Danyela Souza Egorov from the Manhattan Institute criticized the situation, calling the need for basic supplies “absurd” and indicative of poor management of public funds by the DOE. A DOE spokesman responded, stating, “We are proud to provide schools with necessary resources for student support and education. We commend educators who raise additional funds for their classrooms.”
Additional report by Susan Edelman.
