Colorado teachers in Aurora get free classroom supplies ahead of first day of school

Back-to-school shopping isn't just expensive for parents. Teachers often spend hundreds of dollars of their own money before students ever walk through the door.

As the cost of school supplies continues to climb, teachers are feeling it too. A recent AdoptAClassroom survey found educators spent an average of $895 of their own money on classroom supplies last school year. That's up 49% over the past decade.

To help ease that burden, the Aurora Public Schools Foundation opened its Educator Emporium. It gives teachers free access to classroom essentials before the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The shelves are stocked with crayons, markers, construction paper, notebooks, folders, binders, dry-erase markers and other classroom materials. It's all available at no cost to Aurora Public Schools teachers.

The supplies were replenished through a grant from the Tuchman Family Foundation as part of its "Supplies for Success" initiative.

"We designed the Educator Emporium about five years ago, and it's a spot where teachers can come shop for school supplies all throughout the school year," said Jill Ruiter, executive director of the Aurora Public Schools Foundation. "Anything they might need for their classroom, they can come get from here, brand new, free of charge to them."

Aurora Public Schools serves more than 38,000 students, and nearly three-quarters qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

For Blanca Ceniceros, a preschool teacher at Jamaica Child Development Center, buying classroom supplies and more has become part of the job. Ceniceros said she has spent her own money on supplies every year during her nearly decade-long career with Aurora Public Schools.

"I want my classroom to look welcoming. I want my classroom to look ready for my students," Ceniceros said. "They need to know that they belong."

Ceniceros says every school year she has students who arrive without basic supplies.

"I always tell them, 'Don't worry about it. I got it,'" she said.

Ceniceros either purchases the supplies herself or asks coworkers if they have extras to share. She worries more students could face those challenges as back-to-school costs continue to rise.

"I'm getting lots of supplies like pencils, crayons, colored pencils and markers so that way they can have some," she said. 

Ruiter says teachers often provide materials that aren't covered by school budgets.

"There's not necessarily a line item for that in the budget," she said. "How can we help support them so they don't have to do it out of their personal pocketbook?"

The foundation expects about 150 teachers to shop during Wednesday's kickoff and more than 700 educators to use the Educator Emporium during the back-to-school period.

The resource remains open throughout the school year because classroom needs don't stop after August.

"We know that it's not just August, but in November, February and March, there's going to be needs in the classroom," Ruiter said. "We want to be there to help fill that gap for Aurora Public Schools teachers."

Ruiter says the Educator Emporium also aims to help with teacher retention by showing educators they're valued and supported, especially those who have never had access to a resource like this in other districts.

For Ceniceros, the free supplies don't mean she'll stop spending her own money. Instead, they'll allow her to spend it elsewhere.

"Maybe I can save the money for snacks," Ceniceros said. "I'm still going to spend the money on the kids through all of the year."

During the 2025-26 school year, the Educator Emporium served 411 individual educators through 606 visits. Teachers and staff from 63 Aurora Public Schools campuses used the resource, including preschool, elementary, middle and high school educators, counselors, therapists and special education staff.

The Aurora Public Schools Foundation says community members can support the Educator Emporium by donating new school supplies or making financial contributions to help keep shelves stocked throughout the year.

Donations can be made online by visiting the foundation's website.