How local groups support Tucson teachers through grants, resources

So when her parents ask what she wants for Christmas, she doesn’t ask for jewelry or a new outfit; she asks for a laminator and classroom supplies to get her first-graders through the year.

The Warren Elementary School teacher estimated that, without supplemental help she receives through grants, friends and family, she would spend about $5,000 over an entire school year on supplies.

"I'm teaching first grade next year, and based off of my experience, I'm probably going to have around 24 students, so I'm going to need 24 packs of crayons, 24 packs of markers, glue sticks, scissors," she said. "I'm also talking class snacks ... parties or science projects or field trips that we get sponsored, class shirts (and) headphones."

While she's received grants for supplies from the Fiesta Sports Foundation and Educational Enrichment Foundation, she said she "still spends [her] own money, just not as much anymore."

Marana gifted education teacher Niki Tilicki's shopping for the school year, while not as high-cost as George's, starts in May or June.

"Every school year looks a little different, so it's hard to put an exact dollar amount on the beginning of the year. But if I had to estimate, I probably spend between $500 and $800 before my students even walk through the door," Tilicki said.

She said her summer shopping consists of stocking up on "pencils, markers, glue sticks, sticky notes, desk calendar, dry erase markers, tissues, disinfecting wipes, baby wipes, Band-Aids, notebooks, folders, name tags, and all of the everyday supplies that seem to disappear throughout the year."

"I also make sure I have extra copies of everything on the school supply list because I never want a student to feel embarrassed or left out if their family couldn't provide every item," Tilicki said. "If a child needs something, I want to be able to hand it to them without hesitation."

George and Tilicki's experiences reflect a nationwide challenge that teachers face every summer: affording classroom supplies that will set students up for success.

According to the National Education Association, 90% of teachers "who use their own money to pay for classroom needs have struggled with a 20 percent increase in prices since 2020. But the 2025-26 school year could be their most expensive yet."

Directors for Treasures 4 Teachers of Tucson and Tucson Values Teachers say their local organizations aim to bridge some of that gap.

"If you were thinking of school supplies as just pencils and spiral notebooks and whatnot, that's just the basic stuff," said Adrienne Ledford, executive director of Treasures 4 Teachers of Tucson. "For quality education, you want to have hands-on things ... like PVC pipes and zip ties."

Ledford, once a teacher's aide, said she started Treasures 4 Teachers of Tucson because she was tired of seeing teachers constantly paying out of pocket for expensive, basic materials and project supplies that students didn’t otherwise have access to.

"There was a lady named Barb. Barb opened one of these in Tempe, and I used to go up there all the time, and then finally after two years, we opened this one," she said. "Eventually I ended up quitting my job to work this because it got busy."

Described by Ledford as a "Costco for teachers," Treasures 4 Teachers is a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost school and art supplies to educators. Founded in 2015, the organization repurposes community and corporate donations to help teachers bypass out-of-pocket expenses while keeping usable materials out of landfill.

"It's a big thrift store for teachers, but our stuff is in really good shape," she said. Educators can shop at the warehouse for an annual membership fee of about $35.

"It was something that I used a lot in the beginning of my teaching career in Tucson," said Jillian Powers, a teacher at Douglas Elementary in the Flowing Wells Unified School District. "(Last year,) I re-upped my membership, and was like, 'Wow, this place really is a gold mine.'"

Powers said her school provides a $600 annual supply budget for her team of herself and two other second-grade teachers, but the $200 each doesn't fully fund her classroom needs.

"I am lucky that we get a team budget," she said. "But three classes of around 25 kids, $600 isn't going very far."

She said the budget pays for crayons, notebooks, folders and other necessities while with her own money, she buys art supplies, snacks and non-essentials. Treasures 4 Teachers, she said, has a trove of art supplies.

"They have every little thing you could think of at a discount, and knowing that it's recycled materials, it's cool they're not adding more plastic or waste from Amazon or Michaels," Powers said.

The second-grade teacher said she's also received a $100 gift card from Tucson Values Teachers, a partner organization of Treasures 4 Teachers of Tucson, to help afford back-to-school supplies as well.

"If you get extra money for coaching, or like for me running the after school program, none of those stipends are in my check in July, so that $100 could be awesome," she said. "It's really helpful. I think timing is everything, and so being able to take $100 off the wish list is excellent."

Founded in 2008, Tucson Values Teachers is a local nonprofit that supports PreK–12 educators through community partnerships, teacher recognition programs, professional development scholarships and classroom supply grants, according to the website.

"We specifically have a program called Tucson Supplies Teachers, and what we do is we ask the community for monetary donations, and we take those donations, and 100% of those go back into teachers," said Teresa Hill, CEO of Tucson Values Teachers. "What we do is we purchase $100 gift cards for them, and they can choose between Amazon or Treasures for Teachers."

Hill said the amount of teachers TVT can fund depends on how much in donations they receive. Last year, she estimated 150 teachers received gift cards and the year before, 250 teachers.

"During COVID, they had really strong community support, and they were up to like 400 teachers getting the $100 gift card," she said. "So, it just depends on what we raise."