Texas teachers just gave education budget-writers a $269 million subsidy
TSTA’s teacher-members now pay an average of $841 a year on classroom supplies for which they are not reimbursed, according to the latest teacher moonlighting and morale survey conducted for TSTA by faculty at Sam Houston State University.
These payments basically are an educational subsidy that underpaid teachers donate each year to school districts and the state of Texas.
Collectively, how much is that? The Texas Education Agency says there are about 320,000 teachers in Texas public schools. Many shell out various amounts for school supplies, and others don’t. But using $841 as a statewide average, that is a $269 million subsidy for public education costs that should be covered by taxes.
That is $9 million more than the $260 million budget adopted by Lubbock ISD for the upcoming school year. It is $12 million more than the combined budgets for Del Valle ISD ($142 million) and New Braunfels ISD ($115 million). The subsidy is more than the individual budgets of hundreds — probably most — of Texas school districts and would more than cover Austin ISD’s projected deficit.
Teachers aren’t making those comparisons though. They are digging into their pockets because their students need the supplies and school budgets don’t cover them. In some cases, a teacher’s shopping list may even include sweaters or coats for poverty-stricken kids coming to school cold.
Every time state budget-writers fail to adequately fund public schools, they are taking these teachers for granted.
