Teachers Finding Ways To Save
With a new school year just around the corner many teachers in the US are finding themselves doing more than just writing lesson plans over the summer. This summer, much like recent others, teachers across the nation are finding themselves searching for new ways to supply their class what they believe are “necessities” needed for a well-rounded educational environment. Things that the schools don’t supply teachers with themselves, necessities that districts continue to cutback on . Often, in fact -- a whopping estimated 87% of the time, it is the teachers themselves that come out of pocket for these classroom supplies. So, the next time you’re gazing across the hall at another classroom, just remember the old adage...
The class is always greener on the other side.
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Sure, there’s a chance that the class across is the hall is guarded by a teacher well aware of Best Value Copy, and has planned ahead this year, utilizing online printing to save a good chunk of their classroom budget. But, what about the rest of the budget? How else will teachers save on resources needed to feed the young minds of America? That's a question educators have been asking all summer.
In a national survey conducted by Adobtaclassroom.org 91% of teachers said they spent their own money on supplies and instructional materials for their students. Here is an estimated breakdown of just where that budget is going.
In a national survey conducted by Adobtaclassroom.org 91% of teachers said they spent their own money on supplies and instructional materials for their students. Here is an estimated breakdown of just where that budget is going.
Teacher Spending:
Classroom Material - $186
School Supplies - $268
Instructional Material - $491
School Supplies - $268
Instructional Material - $491
So, why aren’t teachers getting more funding? Is it really that much more expensive for school boards? Here’s a look at part of Florida’s Funding For School Districts plan for 2016- 2017
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7601/urlt/fefpdist.pdf
http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7601/urlt/fefpdist.pdf
"School boards may set discretionary tax levies of the following types: (1) Current operation – The Florida Legislature set the maximum discretionary current operating millage for 2013-14 at 0.748 mills, pursuant to section 1011.71(1), F.S. School boards may levy an additional capital outlay millage not to exceed 0.250 mills pursuant to section 1011.71(3)(a), F.S., in lieu of levying an equivalent amount of the discretionary current operating millage. (2) Capital outlay and maintenance – School boards may levy up to 1.5 mills as prescribed in section 1011.71(2), F.S. and may share a portion of the levy with charter schools for expenditures identified in section 1013.62(2), F.S. Section 1011.71(2)(a)-(j), F.S., authorizes school boards to expend the funds raised by the 1.5-mill capital outlay levy for the following: The educational plant – Costs of construction, renovation, remodeling, maintenance and repair of the educational plant. This also includes the maintenance, renovation and repair of leased facilities to correct deficiencies. Expenditures that are directly related to the delivery of student instruction – Purchase, lease or lease-purchase of equipment, educational plants and construction materials directly related to the delivery of student instruction. Conversion of space – Rental or lease of existing buildings or space within existing buildings, originally constructed or used for purposes other than education, for conversion to use as educational facilities. A new school’s library media center collection – Opening day collection for the library media center of a new school. School buses – Purchase, lease-purchase or lease of school buses or the payment to a private entity to offset the cost of school buses pursuant to section 1011.71(2)(i), F.S. Servicing of payments related to lease-purchase agreements – Servicing of payments related to lease-purchase agreements issued for any purpose under authority of prior enactments of this law. Costs associated with the lease-purchase of equipment, educational plants and school buses may include the issuance of certificates of participation and the servicing of payments related to such certificates. Only three-fourths of the proceeds from this millage can be obligated to lease-purchase agreements, unless the lease-purchase agreements were entered into before June 30, 2009. Equipment, computer hardware and enterprise resource software – Purchase or lease of new and replacement equipment: enterprise resource software applications that are classified as capital 3 assets in accordance with definitions of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, have a useful life of at least five years and are used to support district-wide administration or statemandated reporting requirements; computer hardware for school district electronic learning management systems. In addition, section 1011.71(5), F.S., authorizes school boards to expend up to $100 per unweighted full-time equivalent student from revenue generated by the 1.5 mill capital outlay millage levy for: (a) The purchase, lease-purchase or lease of driver’s education vehicles; motor vehicles used for the maintenance or operation of plants and equipment; security vehicles; or vehicles used in storing or distributing materials and equipment. (b) Payment of the cost of premiums, as defined in section 627.403, F.S., for property and casualty insurance necessary to insure school district educational and ancillary plants. As used in this paragraph, casualty insurance has the same meaning as in section 624.605(1)(d), (f), (g), (h) and (m). This means that casualty insurance may only be for burglary and theft, glass, boiler and machinery, leakage and fire extinguishing equipment and elevators. Operating revenues that are made available through the payment of property and casualty insurance premiums from revenues generated under this subsection may be expended only for nonrecurring operational expenditures of the school district."
Who's Paying The Bill?
Does spending count as a trend to you? Well, it does for teachers, and as much fun as decorating a new classroom and buying things like Kleenex may be, spending is a trend teachers wish would just die already. Think about it, what is the actual cost of that beautiful room across the hall -- the one with the little tidbits of knowledge on the walls and all the name tags on the desks, those workbooks, that extra cool new assignment, and that last minute study guide...it’s all coming from somewhere, but if it's not "directly" related by the district's definition, chances are it's not in the budget this year.
In a similar situation this summer, Chicago Public Schools principals received preliminary budgets that reflected massive spending cuts for the coming school yea. The district believes they may result in a major impact on Chicago classrooms this upcoming school year. Classrooms that have already been trying to get adjusted to recent budget cuts. |
There’s no telling when and if things will change for school districts like those listed, but what teachers can do, and what they have done, is something deeply rooted in a teacher's foundation, and that’s plan ahead. In summation, share more this year. Share information with teachers, join a community, or follow along here on this blog, whatever you do, find information that saves and pass on the knowledge.
Be in the know.