Do you get 500 dollars each year for classroom supplies?

Can someone tell me if they know anything about the 500 dollars teachers are supposed to get at the beginning of each school year. We get it in my district but I understand some do not. If you know about it do you know where to find the stipulations that go along with it?

 

I thought the amount was up to the district. I've never gotten $500 at the beginning of the year for supplies. I would think the only stipulation would be that if you leave/retire, the supplies bought with that money stay in the room/school.

 

:lol: We get $50.00 and yes, that's a decimal after the first zero!

 

I know the stipulation was you could spend it on what you wanted and the district could not dictate what you had to spend it on. I saw the law one time and do not know where to find it. Does anyone know if it was a federal law?

 

I'm sure that classroom budgets are probably set by district. In my school I get $500 for the year (I'm in NJ)...We put in purchase orders which are approved by the principal so theoretically they could deny something you order/or question it...I've never had anything denied.

 

Nope.

There's background paper there for anyone who wants it. Beyond that, we're on our own!

 

I doubt it was a federal law. Otherwise, we would ALL be getting $500, and that ain't the case.

 

We get $0. Yes, nothing.

 

We are given a check list at the beginning of the year to the office secretary for basic supplies (paperclips, staples, pencils, etc.). As long as it is on the list, you can get it. Now, if you are checking off everything every year and then hoarding it, then they might say something.

New sets of textbooks and technology comes from separate budgets.

For other supplies, our department gets about 7500. That's for 13 people, and includes ELA and Spanish. Usually we order supplements of textbooks if some get lost, class sets of novels, and basically anything that's not office supplies.

I have never heard anything about teachers getting $500 stipulation free. You can claim $250 worth of supplies out of your own pocket on your taxes, but that is all I have heard of. Usually the federal government stays out of education.

 

yeah, I've bought most things I want/need for my rooms with my own money. The only thing the school provides are pens, highlighters and some other simple things. But I usually can't find where they are located and end up buying my own anyways...

 

We don't get anything either.

 

Our Parent's Club provides each teacher with $250 to use throughout the year. The district provides nothing.

 

Well, I know you guys must think I am crazy but it is true that we were told one year we would start getting 500 dollars for our classroom. My sister had the document that told about it but we cannot find it now. We have been getting this money for about 4-5 years now but not all the districts in Arkansas get it. It was not decided by the districts though. I remember when it first came out my principal was very concerned because she did not know how she was going to fit it in her budget. That is what confuses me because she talked like she didn't have a choice. I am going to contact my old princpal and see if she remembers anything about it.

 

I'm at the point of asking parents for copy paper.

 

Maybe it was some kind of grant or something for you school district? No idea...

 

Been there, done that!:lol:
We get 250.00 half way through the year. We are supposed to use that for the following year. I have had to buy tables, papercutters and leveled books with my budget, or else I won't get them. Thank goodness I got alot of my borders and desk supplies earlier on in my career and they are holding up. Last year when I bought the kidney shaped table that the district wanted us to use for guided reading but wouldn't provide us one, it wiped out my budget.

 

We get a certain amount per grade and split it. This year it was $350

 

No, I don't think you are crazy

Do let us know what you find out. This is one interesting mystery!

 

I asked for packs of white printer/copy paper, and one parent brought in a whole box/case! I am set for the year and probably next year, too!

 

We are supposed to get $300 but that comes from the district. Every year they add something else that must he purchased with the money. We are up to buying scantron paper, printer cartridges, and a $30 mystery charge, so it's not really $300.

 

We used to get reward money according to our school's AYP and now it has been cut from state budget.

 

PTO provides $150 well that was last year, not sure if it will be the same this upcoming year.

 

DC gets nothing. I'm STILL waiting on textbooks....

 

Our school (Private) and my son's school (Public) ask for that. hmy:

 

I think it's a State law mandated back when Mike Huckabee was Governor. I keep receipts for everything I get and I'm reimbursed, I also do purchase orders. We were told we'd be approved for just about anything reasonable. Every year I go over my $500 and I've always been reimbursed for it all.

 

This year we had our $100 from Sonny Perdue (our sunny money) and $100 from PTA. We do a fundraiser every year called Boosterthon. Last year and the year before it went really really well. But this year not so much. The PTA lady says that they probably will not be back next year.

 

We get $75.00 in our October check for school supplies. After taxes, that is about $60.

 

In Kindergarten we are supposed to get $250 for supplies, but that has to cover EVERYTHING, including a penny a copy charge for anything that we run off. That goes pretty fast. The secretary also takes $75 off the top for art supplies. Our big problem is that the secretary/bookkeeper never knows what our balance is and anything that gets left, is rolled over into the general fund.

 

We are given a small amount at the end of the year for the next year. Don't know exactly how much but I do know that it's getting smaller and smaller every year. Our PTO gave each teacher $20 at christmas and our principal is really good about trying to get us printer ink and the necessities as much as she can. It's really hard though to teach sometimes when you don't have the supplies you need.

 

Zero here, too. We even buy some of our kids' school supplies and necessary curriculum items.

 

I feel so lucky. My school reimburses us uo to 500, however, I know that if I really needed something, I could get it.

Also, 'office type supplies' are here for the taking, as well as copies, construction paper, laminating, writing paper for the kids, consumable workbooks, etc.

So the 500 goes for picture books, or special projects, equiptment and materials for our garden, that kind of stuff. The 'extras'.:wub:

 

In the past we could spend $100 where we wanted and get reimbursed. Now we have to go to a particular teacher store and charge it so that we aren't taxed.

 

Yikes! I feel really bad for you! I thought $100 wasn't enough. I should be more thankful.

 

$0 here as well. I find it crazy, really really crazy. I just spent $75 on contruction paper and got free shipping though so there's a feather in my cap.

 

I WISH we were given $500. We get $100 here. We turn in our receipts 2 times a year. Check with your P. Wow, I feel for those who don't get anything. I believe (not completely sure) that teachers get a $1500 tax credit, but save your receipts!

 

If you're a K-12 teacher, you can deduct up to $250 of qualified expenses you paid in 2008. That includes books, supplies, anything you use in the classroom. Save receipts.

 

Our Home&School gives each teacher $100 to spend on supplies that go beyond the basic stuff the school is supposed to buy such as office supplies and construction paper. I generally use the money on consumable stuff INCLUDING white construction paper. We never seem to have any! We have to turn in the receipts, but I always make copies for my files in case questions ever pop up. I have cut back on my personal spending for the classroom this year, but I know I spend way more than the $250 tax break teachers get in April.

 

We get all the office supplies we need until they run out--they haven't run out in any of the years I've been there, though.

We get a $200 debit card to use on classroom supplies/materials. We've gotten than every year for the past 3, but I don't think we'll be getting it again in the future. This year I spent my $200 on external hard drives and mini flash drives. In the past I've purchased DVDs and books.

If I really needed something, I could ask the AP, and I'd probably get it. I don't ask for much, though, because I have a lot of what I need. I try to be frugal when I can and conserve supplies as much as possible.

I prefer to ask for school money to be spent on things like the National Latin Exam ($5 per student plus some other fees) and the state/national Junior Classical League conventions.

 

We put construction paper on our school supply list and we get lots of it.

 

At my previous school they used to buy us a bunch of stuff-crayons, construction paper, glue, writing paper, pencils, etc., etc., but we never got to pick and if we wanted anything extra we had to buy it ourselves. They changed their policy last year and gave the teachers $500. I don't know how much they will be getting this year. I didn't like when the school would purchase us everything. I took really good care of my supplies, so I didn't need everything that they bought me. I much prefer picking out my own supplies.