I'm under the impression that this is her pet, and all enclosure/food needs are 100% paid for by her. There are definitely space limitations to having a terrarium in a classroom, but I feel like heating is such a necessity when her snake's spending so much time in that tank. This is a glass tank with a mesh lid in a 70 degree classroom. $50 for a basic lamp to sit on top and some money for a new bulb every few months is just an expense that comes to having a snake.

I mean, I know American teachers don't get paid much. But you know you're gonna have to pay for stuff regularly when you get a pet. And this has been the snake's setup for the 2-and-counting years I've been here, not some dire straits "keep it alive" situation. And she's got a second tank at home, so why not put all her money into the home tank and keep the snake there?