Strategies to Help School District Budget While Helping Environment

As the economy creates budget difficulties for school districts across the country, thousands of teachers and administrative personnel risk layoffs. School districts often seek alternatives to cutting staff prior to issuing pink slips, but creativity is required. This article shares some cost reducing methods that teachers can employ in their own classrooms that could help the very district that pays them.

The popular phrase usually related to a healthy environment is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." This phrase also relates to a successful, affordable classroom. By implementing these three verbs, teachers can save their school districts a lot of money, and maybe a job or two in the process.

Reduce
First of all, reduce the amount of consumables. Steer clear of worksheets. Have students raise their hands or use nonverbal signals rather than having them write quiz responses as formative assessments. If writing is needed, have students split a sheet of paper down the middle after doing pair-share cooperative learning. Depending upon the course, create more skits or videos instead of written projects.

Use a paperless office concept at the classroom level whenever possible. Determine whether or not printouts are truly necessary. In a computer lab setting, do not allow students to print rough drafts, cartoon pictures, or other ink and paper consumable items. If they do, charge them as if they would be charged for a copy machine printout at the library. Documents no longer need to be printed to submit to an instructor. Instead the files could be saved directly to a network folder and graded accordingly. When a final draft is required, students could save the file to a special folder or email the file to the teacher as an indication their work is complete.

Another way to reduce purchases is to have a location such as a library back room or a place in a copy room for teachers to "leave one take one" with their excess supplies. This reduces the amount of supplies such as pens, markers, etc. that teachers need to purchase each year.

Reuse
Whenever possible, reuse materials. Instead of discarding aged magazines, find another teacher who could use them. Instead of tossing away the boxes that textbooks or copy machine paper come in, email the network of employees to see who would like them for moving purposes.

Teachers already reuse textbooks from year to year. However, if a grant brings in technology such as Apple iPads, ELMO projectors, or other gadgets, use them within the classroom to help reuse in a new way. For example, an ELMO projector limits the number of dry erase markers or overhead projector transparencies that need to be purchased. The supplies that are no longer needed could be passed along to a teacher or school district that still operates with such tools. Likewise, when a textbook is updated, there may be school districts in dire need of your school's older editions who would love a discounted price.

Recycle
Set up recycling programs around the school for glasses, metal, used cell phones, used computers, used batteries, and paper. Have student groups such as FFA, student council, or others be responsible for maintaining them as a community service project. Some companies will even pay for the supplies after they are collected which could feed back into the school community.

Through a bit of ingenuity teachers can help school districts save money. The process not only helps the school, but helps the environment at the same time. Using these processes also helps educate students about ways they can make a difference in the world before they embark on other employers who utilize these ideas. As such, teachers have the opportunity to make a difference in the world by using these simple and creative cost cutting measures.

What money saving strategies have you used to help a school district's budget? Have you ever used the ideas in this article? What do you think about these ideas?