Inflation Concerns Hit NYC Teachers As New School Year Looms

NEW YORK CITY — Inflation could put teachers in a bind as New York City’s school year begins.

Back-to-school season is in full swing ahead of New York City's first day of classes Thursday, Sept. 8.

And it's a pricey proposition for many teachers who have already endured a grueling coronavirus pandemic and looming potential budget cuts for this year. The cost of school supplies increased 10 percent in the past year as inflation rose, according to a NielsenIQ.

One Brooklyn elementary school teacher — who spoke to Patch under the condition she not be named — said she spent $1,000 this year in school supplies, for which she was told only $225 would be reimbursed.

"A lot of what we purchase is out of pocket and a lot of people don't know that," she said.

"The school does buy a couple of things, but it is never enough and it is never what we need."

Prices rose 6.5 percent overall across the New York City in the past year, according to a July study from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education costs rose 1.8 percent overall from July 2021, with tuition, other school fees and child care increasing 2.6 percent, the study found.

Another national study by NielsenIQ found school supply costs rose even more. Pencils and pens, for example, are 35 cents and 29 cents more expensive on average than last year, the study found.

Those tiny cost increases can add up, too.

The Brooklyn teacher told Patch that a package of copier paper — which typically lasts a day — used to cost her $58.73. This year, it costs $63, she said.

"Think about if a doctor had to go and buy supplies for their jobs," she said. "It's an expectation now that this is something that teachers should do, but teachers have their own lives and their own budgets to think about. They shouldn't be funding the classroom when they have so many other things to be concerned with."

Not all teachers Patch spoke to had to pay for supplies. One eighth grade teacher said two charter schools she has worked for covered the cost of supplies.