Republicans back $400 in supply money for NC school teachers

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Republicans want to provide $400 to each public school teacher to purchase construction paper, glue sticks and other classroom supplies through a new process that sidesteps local districts.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson and GOP education budget-writers unveiled legislation on Wednesday that would direct the money to more than 93,000 classroom teachers. Starting this fall, teachers would be debited or reimbursed through an electronic app for their retail purchases.

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Parents of current or former K-12 students are likely to recall routine pleas from teachers or schools to donate supplies that schools couldn't afford. One lawmaker said state money currently going to all 115 school districts for these needs too often is being used for other priorities.

CMS representative criticizes N.C. School Supplies Program

It sounds great, but Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools representative Charles Jeter said not so fast.

"If this was new money, we would be having a parade on Trade and Tryon right now, praising the North Carolina Senate for doing this,” Jeter said. “It's not new money."

Districts currently get a chunk of money for supplies.

One of the bill co-sponsors said that money doesn't always go straight to classroom teachers and the proposed bill changes that, sending most of the money directly to teachers.

"So, the premise that we're not giving this money to the classroom is simply false," Jeter said. "CMS received $4.6 million from the state in the last budget year 2017-18 for classroom supplies. We, actually, spent $13.3 million so we're spending three times more than we're getting from the state."

Jeter said the county fills in the gap and the real problem is lack of funding.

"If they're concerned about teachers getting enough supplies in the classroom, give us more money," Jeter said.

Teachers will have to pay top dollar for supplies, instead of the district buying in bulk, Jeter said.

Channel 9 reached out to the state superintendent's office to get a response to CMS’ concerns.

A spokesperson said the bill creates flexibility by splitting control of school supply money between teachers and districts, and “the $400 for each teacher is meant to be a floor for funding classroom supplies, not a ceiling. Different districts have different needs and the cost of supplies varies across the state.”

Under the plan, about $37.4 million of the $47.5 million earmarked in 2019 for instructional supplies, equipment and other materials would be allocated to teachers instead.

Johnson said he faced challenges getting enough copier paper for his classes while a high school teacher, often relying on help from outside groups or buying it himself. The N.C. School Supplies Program would attempt to address the individual needs of teachers, he said.

"Teachers can be nimble and they can use these funds to buy what they need, when they need it," Johnson said at a Legislative Building news conference. "If we truly want to put our money where our trust is, then let's show teachers we trust them to make the right decisions for their classrooms."

If the legislation becomes law - budget-writers from both chambers expressed support for the idea - eligible teachers would be allocated their portion through an electronic account called ClassWallet. Teachers at traditional public schools would automatically receive the $400 electronic stipend. Charter school participation would be optional.

Channel 9 education reporter Elsa Gillis spoke with North Carolina Association of Educators President Mark Jewell, who said the plan isn’t really adding additional revenue for student resources in the state.

The NCAE is the state’s largest education advocacy organization for public school employees, and represents active, retired, and student members.

“Right now, we currently are about 39th in the nation on per pupil expenditure,” Jewell said. “That's $2,300 per child below the national average in resourcing our classrooms, and what his proposal does is really take the school supply money that's given to the district -- which comes ultimately to the school -- and say we're going to redistribute those dollars."

NCAE president's response to proposed school supply bill:

"This bill does nothing to really help relieve teachers from dipping into their own pockets to pay for much-needed supplies for themselves and their students. Clearly, there is a need to provide a school supply stipend for teachers, who spend several hundred dollars annually of their own money, but the State Superintendent is rolling out a plan that just redistributes money from the currently underfunded instructional materials allotment for school districts. Teachers may be able to buy things like paper and resource booklets, but still won't be able to have needs such as lab equipment or printer toner that would benefit the entire school fulfilled. What is needed is a solid plan to appropriate adequate funding in order for our students and educators to have the supplies and resources they need. North Carolina currently ranks 39th in the country in per-pupil funding and continues to lag behind by more than $2,300 per student behind the national average."

Purchases at large retailers would be completed instantly, using the stipend. Teachers would be reimbursed for purchases at smaller stores by uploading receipts. Unused money at the end of the school year would return to the state. Similar electronic supply stipend programs occur in New Mexico and Florida. Johnson said the app's use is free to the state.

Johnson said the app also would allow state officials to collect supply data to evaluate better future funding needs. For example, early-grade teachers may need more supplies for projects and other activities.

"It's a little bit of a shell game here, is what I'm calling it,” said Jewell. “It's just re-allocating the money out of a school district that's already starving. While it may sound good at the surface, that's actually taking away supply money just to resource the whole school, in the school district, because there are things obviously that you have to pay for -- lab supplies that are school-wide, technology, copier materials, printers, all of those things."

The legislation would mean less money going directly to school districts for supplies, down to about $10 million. Sen. Andy Wells, a Catawba County Republican and bill sponsor, said some districts aren't spending the full amount anyway for these needs.

"The short answer is bureaucrats used the money to pay for other things on their to-do list," Wells said. He didn't describe any specific situations.

“If the state was actually resourcing school districts as they should, we wouldn't have this issue,” Jewell told Channel 9. “We would hope the superintendent would lead the call and go to the General Assembly and urge them to fund their school supplies at a level where we don't have to ask educators -- who are making very little money -- to buy their own supplies, or parents to bring in supplies."

Leanne Winner, a lobbyist for the North Carolina School Boards Association, said later Wednesday she's not aware of any school districts using these funds for unintended purposes. The Department of Public Instruction's spending manual says schools already can use the instructional supply money to conduct PSAT assessments in grades 8-10, Winner wrote in an email.

Associated Press