NC Governor’s School Supply Drive Begins in Response to Lack of Teacher Funding in Budget

School supply drive kit for collection points. Source: Office of the Governor, Raleigh NC.
School supply drive kit for collection points. Source: Office of the Governor, Raleigh NC.

On August 8, 2017,  the office of Governor Roy Cooper announced kickoff of the “Governor Cooper’s School Supply Drive” to help address unmet classroom needs in North Carolina public schools.

On average, teachers spend about $500 of their own money on supplies for their classrooms each year, and state funding for school supplies has been cut in half since 2008. In March, the Governor announced his budget proposal, Common Ground Solutions for North Carolina, which called for a $150 annual supply stipend for all North Carolina public school teachers to help offset the cost of purchasing supplies. The teacher supply stipend was not included in the budget passed by the North Carolina General Assembly.

Said Governor Cooper:

“Far too often, teachers have to dip into their own pockets to cover the cost of classroom supplies that their students need to learn. It’s my hope that this supply drive is one day unnecessary, but until then I encourage North Carolinians to help fill that gap by donating classroom supplies.”

The school supply drive will run from August 14 to September 8, 2017. State Employees Credit Union (SECU) branches, state government offices, and businesses across NC will collect school supplies that teachers and students need.

Requested supplies include:

  • All types of paper
  • Pens, pencils, and dry erase markers
  • Spiral notebooks
  • Tissues and sanitizing wipes

School supply donation bins will be available at state government buildings in Raleigh and at ll SECU branch buildings statewide. Additionally, businesses that partner with the NC Business Committee for Education may be collecting, as collection guidelines were distributed to their member companies. A list of business members may be found at ncbce.org/members-list.

Cooper encouraged North Carolina residents to participate by donating at a participating location or by organizing a drive at their own workplaces using the school supply drive kit. The kit (PDF) includes instructions for supply collection, and information on Communities In Schools of NC affiliate locations where businesses can drop off collected supplies when the drive ends.

Families shopping for school supplies are asked to consider purchasing an extra item and dropping it off at a donation location. Businesses are also encouraged to get involved by collecting supplies in the workplace.

At the end of the drive, Communities In Schools of NC chapters and AmeriCorps volunteers will distribute the supplies to school classrooms across NC. Students and teachers need public and business support to lessen the drain on the state’s teachers.

 

Source: Ford Porter, NC Office of the Governor

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