Education Foundation staff and volunteers held focus groups with Sioux Falls School District (SFSD) staff, and one of the comments that was mentioned repeatedly was that all teachers would benefit if they had access to funds at the beginning of the school year. A recent study found that the average classroom teacher spends almost $700 out-of-pocket each year purchasing supplies for their classroom (https://www.aaeteachers.org/pr-educatorspendingsurvey-082423)
With that in mind, the Education Foundation is launching a new program: Replenish the Room Grants. These $200 stipends can be used to purchase bulletin board materials, posters, games, manipulatives, flexible seating, books, extra school supplies, dry erase markers, whiteboards, headphones, and more. During the focus groups, tenured teachers told us that after using materials in the classroom for 15 years, their books had tattered and torn covers and their board games were missing half of the pieces. Many teachers also buy school supplies for students whose families cannot afford notebooks, folders, crayons, scissors, and backpacks, and these need to be replaced each year.
“We know teachers are spending their own money to equip their classrooms, and this is another way we can alleviate some of that burden and support teachers,” said Allison Struck, executive director of the Education Foundation. “These grants are the result of listening sessions we held with staff, and there was consensus among all groups that this would be beneficial. Teachers can immediately use the money for classroom items that will enhance teaching and learning.”
The Education Foundation has allocated $15,000 for this new initiative. Seventy-five winners will be selected at random on Thursday, August 22nd, the first day of school for the SFSD. Any teacher who has not already received a First Time Teacher Grant is eligible to apply.
In addition to this new program, the Education Foundation also provides all first-time, first-year educators with $200 grants to equip their classrooms (https://sfeducationfoundation.org/education-foundation-surprises-70-new-teachers-with-200-grants/). First Time Teacher Grants are only available to staff with no prior teaching experience. The new program, Replenish the Room Grants, will be open to any educator who has taught for two or more years.