Elementary school teachers' out of pocket expenditures

The purpose of this study was to determine the out of pocket expenditures that selected elementary school teachers in South Dakota, Iowa, and Nebraska made for such items as materials, supplies, or equipment. Currently, the literature regarding out of pocket expenditures of public school teachers is limited. One hundred elementary school teachers in each of the three states were randomly selected and mailed a short questionnaire. Ninety-three of the total respondents indicated they had spent personal money for the purchase materials, supplies, or equipment. This article reports the findings of the out of pocket expenditures study.