Mich. district charging teachers for goods

BELLEVILLE, Mich., Nov. 19 (UPI) -- The Van Buren Public Schools district in Michigan is set to charge its teachers fees for having small appliances in their classrooms, teachers say.

Linda Lewis, the head of the district's teachers union, said those teachers who want a small refrigerator or coffee maker in their classrooms will be asked to pay a fee to the district for such a right, The Detroit News said Wednesday.

The fees, which range from $32 for a coffee pot to $182 for a mini-refrigerator, are an attempt by the district to save money during difficult economic times.

But Lewis and some of her fellow teachers said the added fees will do little to aid the apparently cash-strapped district.

"I know the district is in dire straights, but it does seem like using a teaspoon to bail out the Titanic," Lewis said.

"I don't think it's going to make a difference for the district, but it's going to make people who already feel bad feel even worse," fifth-grade teacher Pat Matkovic said.

The News said, according to Quality Education Data Inc., the average teacher nationwide spends $425 of his or her own money each year to buy supplies for the classes.