ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) – Teachers at Holly Springs Elementary in Douglasville made final preparations for the first day of school next week.
And with soaring inflation, it’s a costly proposition this year for fourth-grade teacher Katie Winslett.
“There’s a lot of things on our Amazon list, our personal list, and we kind of have a checklist at Walmart and we know what we want, we just don’t always have the funds to access it right at that moment,” Winslett said.
According to a nationwide survey from AdoptAClassroom.org, teachers spend an average of $750 out of pocket on classroom supplies.
“I probably, if I had to do a roundabout, maybe $800 is what comes out of pocket that I pour directly into my classroom for my students,” Winslett said.
To offset some of the cost, Gov. Brian Kemp announced a $125 supplement for every public school teacher on Friday.
“I’m very confident in what our educators are doing to prepare our schools to be ready,” Gov. Kemp said.
He also offered teachers a $125 grant back in January. The $250 of assistance is a mere dent in the budget of most teachers but is still appreciated.
“So, when I got the news I was thrilled. Any kind of grant or help to cushion what we already pour into our classrooms from our personal funds is always super exciting,” Winslett said. “So, when you get any kind of grant or supplement, it immediately gets used and used well.”
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