Dollar daze

NEA Today, Jan 1999

How do you stretch your budget dollars at work?.

In my industrial technology class of past years, I was able to add to my materials by creative buying and downright scrounging.

When purchasing supplies at the local building store, I would offer to take the short lengths of material if they would give me more than the amount ordered.

Another way has been to ask for damaged or partially damaged goods, which are fine for student projects. Many times, the discard piles are "donated" to schools rather than taken to local landfills.

Now several of our local supply businesses will call schools on a rotating basis about these discards.

Richard Meneghelli

Eighth grade science, math, and technology teacher

Wasilla, Alaska I reuse disks mailed to me by online vendors. I erase and reformat them, and then use them to store files.

Wilma King

Computer specialist

Dallas, Texas I put all of my technology news and memos on the back of the daily bulletin on days when the back would otherwise be blank, so one piece of paper will be fully used.

Ed McCarty

High school computer resource teacher

Wilmington, North Carolina When I place my order at the end of the school year, I order extra so I can trade with people.

Mace Bravin

Seventh grade teacher

Tucson, Arizona I make my students budget their food money-if they run out of money, they can't cook. It makes them more responsible.

Jacque Harrod

High school family and consumer science teacher

Worland, Wyoming I'm a high school carpentry instructor. My budget is approximately $8,000 a year, and I purchase more than $16,000 in construction-related materials off budget.

How? I just appeal to the greed of people who want work done for free, cost of materials only.

My program is called residential carpentry. Last year, we called the local newspaper and ran an ad saying that we'd build sheds for the cost of materials only.

The response was unbelievable. We built 14 sheds-at a cost of $900 to $2,500 each-from October to June.

The students practiced layout methods on the materials before they were used to build a shed, so some sheds had pencil lines on the inside. But customers felt it was a small price to pay for what they received.

Michael Napieralski

High school carpentry instructor

Fiskdale, Massachusetts

I ask parents to donate or recycle materials. For example, I ask them to give me the toys from McDonald's kid meals so I can use them for rewards.

Bernice Marier K-3 teacher

Fallbrook, California

We combine the orders for several expensive science classes and then request bids for the entire order from competing vendors. John Zoeckler

High school chemistry/ AP biology teacher

Brea, California

Doing these things has helped me stretch my budget a little further:

When possible, replacing things by making them myself.

Having students bring things from home when working on projects.

Asking for teacher discounts.

Seeing what I can do with things other colleagues don't want anymore.

Judy Pounds

Fourth grade teacher

Hillsborough, North Carolina

Got an Answer?

What do you do when a student damages your property?

Send your answer by regular mail,

Fax 202/822-7206, or E-mail to

dilemma 2@neatoday.nea.org.

Please include your job title and grade level, if applicable.

Puglished respondents will receive a bright NEA Today mug!