Missouri lawmakers propose offering teachers assistance with classroom expenses

LEBANON, Mo. (KY3) - A bill sponsored by State Senator Lauren Arthur could allow teachers to claim some out-of-pocket costs on their state Income Taxes.

Often teachers pay out of pocket for essential items like books, bookcases, and even pencils.

”I had to buy four bookcases so that I could store the books. I had to buy lots of organization things,“ said Sara Schnitzer, a first-year teacher at Maplecrest Elementary in Lebanon.

”It would put really would probably put no boundary to the things that I could have in my classroom, I wouldn’t have to think ooh, I can only claim this amount. So what’s it going to be,” said Schnitzer.

She spent hundreds of dollars setting up her classroom.

“I spent about $800. I am a first-year teacher,” said Schnitzer.

Bethanie Tait teaches in Willard School District. She’s been teaching for nearly 10 years but says she is always needing stuff for her classroom. Tait says she does what she can to keep the costs down, including buying used.

“I’ve collected over the years, but when you are starting now, it’s really just what did maybe a teacher before me leave for me to use,” said Tait.

If the bill is approved and signed by the governor, it would take effect on August 28, with tax breaks beginning in 2023.

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