A teacher who started a GoFundMe to buy a place to live is putting the spotlight on teacher pay as the new school year begins.
Bill Atkinson, a fourth-grade teacher in Austin, Texas, said he started living in his car this summer after his previous home fell into disrepair and he could no longer afford the rent on his $54,000-a-year salary.
“No matter how much I borrowed or saved, it was impossible for me to pay it off because I didn’t have enough income to pay the rent. I was used to living payday to payday, so I didn’t have the savings to pay a few months’ rent,” he told Good Morning America. “So I tried to look for housing, but it was hard to find a house I could afford.”
Atkinson, who now teaches at NYOS Charter School, said she applied to schools she could afford but was turned down because of her poor credit score.
Bill Atkinson, a teacher in Austin, Texas, was sleeping in his car because he couldn’t pay his rent.
Bill Atkinson
Additionally, Atkinson said he currently owes $2,629.36 on a scholarship he received from the University of North Texas to complete his undergraduate degree. He also said he’s working to pay off other bad debts that are impacting his credit score, including past medical bills and past due rent. He also said he has student loans and a car loan that he considers to be fine.
“Obviously, you can’t pay rent and pay off your debts at the same time,” he explained, “because no matter how hard you try, it feels like you’re still living the way you do before payday.”
Atkinson said he earns about $54,000 a year, an income that doesn’t qualify him for housing assistance in Austin. To qualify for Section 8 housing, applicants must have a total annual income of 50% or less of the median income, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The City of Austin Housing Authority and Austin Housing Finance Corporation recently reported that as of June of this year, the median annual income for a single family in Austin was $88,200, and 50% of that would be $44,100, meaning Atkinson would not be able to apply for assistance.
Following a suggestion from a colleague, Atkinson began documenting his journey on a TikTok account, after which some friends and colleagues encouraged him to start a GoFundMe page.
So far, donations have totaled more than $17,000, which Atkinson said exceeded his expectations.
Atkinson said that thanks to the funds raised on the page and the support he received from people who learned of his story – including a good Samaritan who eventually offered him a temporary place to stay – he was eventually able to get a room through a rental agency.


Bill Atkinson currently teaches at NYOS Charter School in Austin, Texas.
Bill Atkinson
He said he wants to not only raise money through GoFundMe, but also tell the stories of struggling teachers.
“I’m telling my story because I’m not the only one in my situation, I’m just trying to speak out publicly,” he said.
Get the support you need
Atkinson said he’s grateful that his school has been “very supportive” since his living situation was made public. He said school officials helped him enroll in a program for which he was eligible for a scholarship, which he said was enough to cover his gas bills.
Dr. Mehiel Rosas, superintendent of NYOS Charter Schools, where Atkinson currently works, said in a statement to GMA, “We respect the privacy of all our employees and reached out to Mr. Atkinson as soon as we learned of his situation to offer him local resources and support.”
“We encourage any staff members experiencing financial hardship to confidentially contact Human Resources, who can provide information on resources such as financial counseling, emergency grants and assistance programs,” Rosas continued. “We are committed to increasing wages and exploring long-term solutions, including providing information on affordable housing options and ongoing discussions with local leaders and officials. We also encourage parents and staff to voice their concerns about teacher pay by providing feedback to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or by contacting their local state representative.”
She added that “participating in local and state advocacy efforts is critical to addressing the broader issues that impact educators.”


Bill Atkinson currently teaches at NYOS Charter School in Austin, Texas.
Bill Atkinson
Meanwhile, Ovidia Molina, president of the Texas Teachers Association, told GMA that Atkinson’s story is not uncommon among educators.
“Unfortunately, there are many teachers who are not in that position, or who are close to being in that position,” she explained, “Some teachers cannot live in the community where they teach even if they wanted to. So, as a teacher, it’s very frustrating to know that you’re not valued enough to get paid. And this is not by our district, this is by our state.”
Molina said her organization recently conducted a survey that found a third of members surveyed were working a second or third job to support themselves and their families.
“I know all educators, from classroom teachers to bus drivers to custodians to cafeteria workers, have to figure out how to make ends meet because they want to stay in education and make a difference for their kids and their communities,” she said.
Calling for change among educators
According to teacher salary data compiled by the National Education Association, the average salary for a public school teacher in the United States will be $69,544 in the 2022-23 school year. That’s up 4.1% from the previous year, and the average salary is projected to rise another 3.1% in 2023-24, but the NEA said, “While some states have seen record increases, average teacher salaries have not kept pace with inflation over the past decade.”
“Adjusted for inflation, the average teacher salary is 5 percent lower than it was 10 years ago,” the NEA says on its website.
“Chronic low wages plague the teaching profession,” the article continues. “An astonishing 77 percent of U.S. school districts still offer starting salaries below $50,000 (28.6 percent offer starting salaries below $40,000), and only 16.6 percent of districts offer teacher salaries above $100,000.”


Bill Atkinson currently teaches at NYOS Charter School in Austin, Texas.
Bill Atkinson
Despite the challenges she’s experienced, Atkinson said she still has a passion for being a teacher, adding that she is inspired by the teachers who cared for her as a child.
But Atkinson said he hopes to see some changes in support for educators, particularly in terms of pay.
“No teacher wants a mansion,” he said. “We want to be able to pay our bills and have decent housing, and if you’re in your 30s and single, you want a place you can live without a roommate (and) be able to buy food.”
He added: “We ask to be treated as professionals, because we are professionals.”