Silicon Valley lawmaker’s bill reimburses pre-K teachers for supplies

A new federal tax bill will expand help to more Santa Clara County teachers who dig deep into their pockets to pay for school supplies.  Educators spend an average of $895 each year to cover classroom supplies and learning materials for their students. The Supporting Early-Childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act, recently signed into law, extends a federal tax deduction previously available for K-12 teachers to transitional kindergarten (TK) and preschool educators. This bill piggybacks on a state law that created universal TK education in California. Through the SEED Act, authored by Silicon Valley Congressman Jimmy Panetta, early childhood educators can receive up to $350 next year in tax deductions to help offset their classroom expenses. Panetta discussed the tax reimbursement with transitional kindergarten teachers at Santa Teresa Elementary School in San Jose’s Oak Grove School District on Oct. 26 while visiting the classrooms. “Our teachers dedicate so much of their time a