PUSD Education Foundation’s expanded Teachers’ Closet witnessing growth as it strives to save teachers from investing their own money to provide classroom supplies to benefit students

Prescott Unified School District Education Foundation Teacher’s Closet founders Jane Robertson, far left) and Carol Yetman (far right) and volunteer Melissa Moore empty tubs donated by Heights Church in Prescott for filling closet shelves in preparation for providing teachers with free supplies for start of school on.

By Nanci Hutson
Originally Published: July 25th, 2024
The Daily Courier

PUSD Education Foundation’s expanded Teachers’ Closet witnessing growth as it strives to save teachers from investing their own money to provide classroom supplies to benefit students

Retired Abia Judd Elementary teachers Jane Robertson and Carol Yetman a few years back started brainstorming about how they could make a difference for their still-working colleagues.

The veteran Prescott Unified School District elementary teachers envisioned a venture that would both express appreciation for those educating the community’s children and reduce some of the out-of-pocket expenses they all invest in their students and classrooms.

The duo proposed their notion four years ago to district leadership, and were donated a closet above the Washington School gymnasium that is part of the district office complex where teachers could shop for donated supplies throughout the year. Appropriately enough, the experiment that was quickly adopted and supported through the Prescott Unified School District Education Foundation is titled, “The Teacher’s Closet.”

“This is our dream,” said Robertson, a PUSD Governing Board member and member of the foundation who, with Yetman, manage the twice-monthly closet operations that in 2022 expanded into space shared by the Family Resource Center in a portable adjacent to the far north parking lot at Prescott High School.

The Teacher’s Closet will be open this school year on the second and fourth Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

When she sees teachers shopping, or is accepting a bag, or bucket, of donations, Robertson said she is so “thankful” because she knows this is a tangible “thank- you” to PUSD educators.

“Carol and I are thrilled,” Robertson said of the transformation from the “closet” used by a few to the now much larger “closet” used by many. “This just means the world to us. We get so excited when we see the looks on the faces of new teachers who are overwhelmed to learn they donʼt have to pay.

“We just love it.”

On a recent afternoon, Foundation Executive Director Paul Kirchgraber offered a tour of the now closet where the Heights Church in Prescott just donated 21 plastic tubs of supplies to reload shelves in preparation for the opening of the school year on Thursday, Aug. 1. At the time, the Family Resource Center Director Judy Stencel was helping a family select needed supplies for their children. Kirchgraber noted the juxtaposition between the Resource Center and the closet space – more of a room — lends itself to the exchange that is all about providing supplies to those who need them most: students.

“This will get us started,” Kirchgraber said as he opened a box full of binders and crayons.

When the closet first opened, Robertson said the word-of-mouth effort to collect and distribute supplies generated only a few regular takers. Once the foundation started marketing and promoting the program that allows teachers to shop twice a month, she said, the visits steadily increased.

District Superintendent Clark Tenney was quoted by Kirchgraber as stating this venture is a “lens” through which teachers are able to witness how the foundation benefits them. The foundation donates about $10,000 annually to offset what donations do not cover, Kirchgraber said, noting that all foundation dollars are generated through the community.

In the 2023-2024 school year, Kirchgraber said there were 400 unique visits, with some teachers also picking up items for teacher team members or fellow colleagues. He said that was double the amount from the prior year.

PUSD gives teachers about $100 budget for supplies for the entire year, but that is never enough, he said.

The National Education Association cited $830 as the average price out-of-pocket teacher expense for supplies, Kirchgraber said. In Arizona, he said, the out-of-pocket toll is more onerous given teacher salaries in this state are among the lowest in the nation.

As grateful as they are to be able to offer teachers this option, Robertson said she and Yetman also remain in awe of the generosity of the community, including churches, civic clubs, businesses, even Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students who started a drive to encourage donation of unused supplies and equipment at the end of every semester. Through these various donations, Robertson said they can often get some high-ticket items, including such things as hand calculators and computer gadgets. Robertson, too, will place special order for teachers various items that are not commonly kept in inventory, including lamination pouches or small white boards and dry erasers. Beyond buying furniture, a district obligation, if a teacher has a need Robertson said they will try and find a way to fill it.

“We wanted to create the feel of a mini-Staples (office store) environment where teachers can come to shop instead of going Big Lots or Walmart and using their own money,” Kirchgraber said. “The Teacher’s Supply Closet is a result of all of our community coming together.”

By Nanci Hutson – The Daily Courier
Originally Published: July 25th, 2024