Dang, teachers get paid alot in NY. In Kentucky the wages are no where near that.
My SIL is a 3rd grade teacher and they spend quite a bit out of pocket for supplies that aren't provided by the districts. If they run out of paper towards the end of the school term she also has to buy that for worksheets.
Some schools don't allow cash or cash gift cards as it appears to be a "bribe" to the teachers where a personalized gift is an expression of appreciation for the dedication shown by the teachers. Some districts even have placed a dollar limit on what gifts can be accepted.
No one "has" to give a gift and the teachers don't hold it against the ones that don't give one and don't give special recognition to the ones that do. My SIL would much rather get a homemade card or a letter saying how much the student has learned/enjoyed being in the class than "another mug".
When my sons were in elementary school, we would give several boxes of kleenex or several reams of paper at various times. Now, germix would be a good thing to provide too.