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SALT LAKE CITY — Educators are taking to the Internet to raise money for classroom supplies. One Utah teacher is using DonorsChoose.org to ask for 26 Kindles — just enough for two students to share one tablet, with a price tag of over $3,500.
Kelli Neuteboom teaches language arts and social studies to seventh- and eighth-graders at Nibley Park School. She’s not alone in her quest to use online fundraising to gather supplies for her classroom. Some of Neuteboom’s colleagues at the school also use the site, which shows pages of requests from teachers all over the country.
“I heard about it from a friend probably seven years ago,” Neuteboom said, adding that she's found success in using the website.
“I did a DonorsChoose.org for some home economics supplies and some art suppies,” she said. “Almost all the books that my kids read in my class are from DonorsChoose.org.”
It’s no secret many Utah teachers dig into their own pockets to buy basic supplies for their classrooms.
“And it’s not reimbursed,” said David Thomas, vice chairman of the Utah State Board of Education. It's "because they want to provide additional resources for their students,” he said.
Despite the increased funds from the 2015 Utah legislative session, Thomas said schools can always use more money.
“Obviously, in terms of school funding, there are limitations and there’s only so much to go around,” he said.
On average, teachers spend about $500 every year out of their own pockets for classroom supplies, food products, things to help students succeed.
–Kim Anderson, National Education Association
Utah is last in the nation for per-pupil spending, Thomas said. However, teachers nationwide share the same experience of personally taking on the responsibility of buying basic classroom supplies for their students.
"On average, teachers spend about $500 every year out of their own pockets for classroom supplies, food products, things to help students succeed,” said Kim Anderson of the National Education Association. “And our figures show that 10 percent spend more than $1,000 a year out of their own pocket for school supplies.”
Frances Battle is the principal at Nibley Park School.
“I was in the classroom for a number of years and I spent a lot of my own money,” said Frances Battle, Nibley Park School's principal.
“That's one thing about educators, they will go that extra mile to ensure that their students can have as many opportunities afforded to them in a classroom,” Battle said.
For Neuteboom, going that extra mile means waiting for donations to pour in for those Kindle tablets — just like she’s done in the past for other supplies.
“I would not have a lot of the materials I have without DonorsChoose.org,” she said.
Our kids are growing up in a digital age. While I don't ever want to see books disappear, they need to know how to function with digital things.
–Kelli Neuteboom, teacher
Neuteboom receives a budget for classroom supplies, but said "the budget goes really fast for things like pencils, and Kleenex, and all of those everyday things you need to use in a classroom.”
Using online crowdfunding sites gives Neuteboom greater access to resources.
“I would love every kid to have a laptop, even bringing in guest speakers or field trips — things that cost too much money for the small budget that we get,” she said.
Crowdfunding also gives her students a more enriched learning environment, she said.
“Our kids are growing up in a digital age," Neuteboom said. "While I don’t ever want to see books disappear, they need to know how to function with digital things.”
She also believes access to modern learning tools can enhance learning opportunities.
“If they’re going to go out into the workforce in a few years, they need to be comfortable with those (electronic) items,” Neuteboom said.
Yesterday's bake sail, she said, is today’s online fundraiser — the new "normal" for educators.
