Governor Cooper Kicks off Annual School Supply Drive | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    DURHAM: Governor Roy Cooper today announced the kickoff of the Governor's School Supply Drive to help address unmet classroom needs in North Carolina public schools. Cooper was at Pearsontown Elementary School in Durham for the announcement.

    "Far too often, teachers have to dip into their own pockets to cover the cost of classroom supplies that their students need to learn," Gov. Cooper said. "It's my hope that this supply drive is one day unnecessary, but until then I encourage North Carolinians to help fill that gap by donating classroom supplies."

    On average, teachers spend about $500 of their own money on supplies for their classrooms each year, and state funding for school supplies has been cut in half since 2008. In March, Gov. Cooper announced his budget proposal, Common Ground Solutions for North Carolina, which called for a $150 annual supply stipend for all North Carolina public school teachers to help offset the cost of purchasing supplies. The teacher supply stipend was not included in the budget passed by the North Carolina General Assembly.

    ABOUT GOVERNOR COOPER'S SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE

    Governor Cooper's School Supply Drive will run from August 14 to September 8, 2017. State Employees Credit Union (SECU) branches, state government offices and businesses across North Carolina will collect school supplies that teachers and students need most throughout the school year.

    Requested supplies include:

• All types of paper
• Pens, pencils, and dry erase markers
• Spiral notebooks
• Tissues and sanitizing wipes

    Donation bins will be available in state government buildings in Raleigh, businesses that partner with the North Carolina Business Committee on Education, and all SECU branch buildings across North Carolina.

    Cooper encouraged North Carolina residents to participate by donating at a participating location or by organizing a drive at their own workplaces using the school supply drive kit. The kit that includes instructions for supply collection can be found HERE.

    "When you're doing back to school shopping for your family this year, consider purchasing one extra item from our supply list and donating it a drop off location near you," Gov. Cooper said. "I also encourage businesses to get involved by downloading our School Supply Drive Kit and collecting supplies in your workplace."

    At the end of the drive, Communities In Schools of North Carolina chapters and AmeriCorps volunteers will distribute the supplies to school classrooms across the state.

    Governor Cooper's School Supply Drive is offered in partnership between the North Carolina Governor's Office, the North Carolina Business Committee on Education, State Employees Credit Union, and Communities In Schools of North Carolina.

• Contact: Ford Porter
•     govpress@nc.gov