WASHINGTON – Congressman Larry Kissell (NC-08) has introduced a bill designed to extend, for an additional two years, an educator tax deduction set to expire this year.  The bill, H.R. 2329, extends an above-the-line tax deduction to elementary and secondary education teachers who purchase supplies or equipment for their classrooms through 2011.
According to a 2006 National School Supply and Equipment Association Retail Awareness Study, teachers spend an average of $493 out of pocket on school supplies for their own classrooms. Seven percent of teachers surveyed said they plan to spend more than $1,000 of their personal finances on supplies. As education budgets face major shortfalls in the recession, that amount is expected to increase significantly.
 “Having spent seven years as a teacher, I know first-hand the struggles of the American teacher. As education budgets continue to shrink, teachers are bearing the brunt of the shortfalls,” Kissell said. “They already spend a great deal of their personal income on supplies and equipment to make sure their students have what they need to succeed and they will spend more as their schools face more budget cuts. This extension will help give them a tax deduction and some well-deserved recognition for their dedication.”