DEMAND & SUPPLIES: WHEN SCHOOL SUPPLIES RUN OUT, TEACHERS OFTEN ARE LEFT PAYING FOR MORE

As business manager of the financially strapped Cape Girardeau schools, it's Rob Huff who gives final approval or denial to teachers' requests to purchase classroom supplies. He sees a lot of those requests -- the district's teachers only receive about $50 each to cover annual classroom supply purchases.

But it wasn't so long ago that Huff, a former math and physics teacher, was on the other end of those requests. He knows what often happens when one is denied due to budget constraints.

"I can remember looking up the cost for these small cubes that I wanted to use for a lesson in a catalogue, and the price was just phenomenal," Huff said. "I just went and spent about 40 bucks on some wood rods and got with the shop teacher so he could cut the cubes for me."

Teachers across the county spends hundreds of dollars of their own money each year to buy classroom supplies. Some of the supplies complement textbook information. But others are for classroom staples like facial tissue, paper, art supplies and computer ink cartridges.

It's a practice Huff knows he won't be able to end completely, but he hopes to improve it next year by giving teachers more control over budgeting for supply purchases and discretionary spending.

"By the nature of educators, if they see something kids need they will go out and get it," said Huff. "What I'd like to do is make the funding a little more equitable by getting more of it out of our hands here at the central office and at the administrative level and letting them decide how to divide the money."

Paying to teach

Several research studies conducted since the early 1990s tell the story: Teachers spend about $500 of their own money on average to purchase instructional materials not covered by school budgets.

Their purchases are as varied as the subjects they cover: fabric for art or consumer science classes, chemicals and cleansers for science experiments, candy and stickers for rewards.

"I'm sure there are teachers in every school who fund their own special things in their own classrooms," said Stan Seiler, principal at West Lane Elementary School in Jackson. "Basically, research has shown that if the classroom had a need that wasn't being met by the school itself, if the teacher met that need through their own private donation, that classroom tended to have higher achievement than classrooms where that need wasn't being met."

There has been some discussion about giving teachers income tax credits and other allowances for their efforts, but most teachers said they buy supplies without expecting any reimbursement.

"I guess if I had a $10,000 budget, that would cover every single little thing and maybe I wouldn't spend out of my pocket, but I'm never going to have a $10,000 budget," said Judy Barks-Westrich, an art teacher at Central High School. "It's my option. Nobody forces me to do it."

Teachers said they buy their own supplies for a variety of reasons. Sometimes there's no room in the budget for their requests, and sometimes an individual purchase may not cost enough in their minds to warrant the time and effort that's needed for approval of a purchase request.

Whatever the reason, teachers said their goal is to connect academically with students.

"Our reading series requires a tremendous amount of cooking experience to understand recipes and measurements and those kinds of things, and a lot of our kids don't have it," said Jill Janet, a kindergarten teacher at Clippard. "If you don't spend money out of your pocket, you just wouldn't be able to teach."

Educated shoppers

After 17 years as a classroom teacher, Janet has become adept at shopping for school supplies, and whenever possible, she said she looks for ways to pare down costs by making items herself.

"We're probably the best shoppers in town," Janet said. "Sometimes we have very generous parents who will help donate supplies, but it definitely doesn't cover everything."

Because "consumables" -- glue, construction paper, markers and the like -- must be replaced every year, Janet has learned to buy them in bulk at local discount stores. She reserves her classroom budget for subject-specific items like educational board games from specialty suppliers.

Sydney Herbst, principal at Clippard Elementary School, said teachers like Janet have an advantage over less experienced teachers who have not had time to stockpile items.

However, some may be better able to write grants or find other resources.

"Beginning teachers may be more familiar with grant writing because it's a hot topic at college these days," said Herbst. "Teachers are definitely savers. They buy the stuff for their classrooms and try to hold onto it for as long as possible."

Huff said teachers often purchase items themselves because they don't know what's available.

Parental donations and grant funding are increasingly being used to help teachers supplement their classroom budgets. And many teachers are beginning to access a host of Internet sites that offer freebies or reduced prices to teachers on everything from scientific calculators to spelling workbooks.

"A lot of times, just knowing where to look these days can be the difference," Huff said. "You'll find the teachers are talking about things as they find them these days so they can help each other get what they need."

The dialogue between teachers in Cape Girardeau schools should improve if they have more control over discretionary spending. Huff is developing a budget for the next school year that establishes budgets for each building based on its enrollment and gives each all teacher a little more for classroom supplies.

The district's budget must be approved by the Board of Education by July 1, but Huff said there will be flexibility to allow for fluctuations in enrollment and departmental needs.

The primary goal is to give teachers more decision-making power, which could translate in less out-of-pocket spending for some.

Said Huff: "Educators tend to be very conservative, responsible people. Even though we're wanting to overall tighten our belts, we want to make sure we're not affecting learning by cutting out things teachers need."

On the Web * www.kalama.com

Informational warehouse with links to sites offering freebies on everything from computers to music lessons.

* www.teacherspoints.com

Hosted by the Learning Network. Program gives teachers access to free classroom and teaching supplies as a reward for their everyday purchases at more than 150 local and Internet merchants.

* www.nfie.com

Web site of the National Education Association's Foundation for the Improvement of Education. The foundation provides grants and programs to help teachers become more innovative in teaching methods. Also offers links by subject to organizations that provide financial and other resources to teachers.