Washington County School Is Being Charged $18K a Month in Toner Costs

[news]

Washington County School Is Being Charged $18K a Month in Toner Costs
Washington County school system tries to get printing costs under control
Washington County Public Schools is putting in place new leased printers and software to help reduce printing and copying costs that had reached approximately $18,000 per month in toner alone at its administrative complex, school system officials said.

Washington County Public Schools is putting in place new leased printers and software to help reduce printing and copying costs that had reached approximately $18,000 per month in toner alone at its administrative complex, school system officials said.

 

The new leasing arrangement costs almost $1 million over 63 months, and is projected to reduce costs by $116,290 over the life of the lease, according to school system documents. 

The lease arrangement, which includes toner, parts, maintenance and support services, is expected to reduce toner costs alone by an estimated $1,845 per month, according to documents and Arnold Hammann, the school system's director of information technology.

The layout of the school system's previous administrative complex, on Commonwealth Avenue, and that the older printers were hardwired didn't lend itself to networked printers, Hammann said. 

When those employees moved into the Center for Educational Services on Downsville Pike almost a year ago, many of them came with the printer that sat on their old desk. The same was true of several other administrative employees who were based at schools and moved to Downsville Pike, Hammann said.

Last month, the Board of Education approved the lease with Centric Business Systems that costs $15,638.64 per month, or $985,234.32 over the 63-month life of the lease, according to documents.

Now, large jobs will be forced to one of the large multifunction units that's designed to print 100 copies, and cost less to do so, Hammann said. Employees who still have access to a desktop printer will not be able to print off that many copies with the desktop printer, he said.

During the Dec. 9 board meeting, board member Mike Guessford asked about the number of printers and employees in the administrative complex.

Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said almost every desk had a printer and printing costs were "skyrocketing."

With the new lease arrangement, the number of printers at the Central Office will go from about 160 to 99, Hammann said. In many cases, two employees will share one of the smaller printers, he said.

Guessford asked at the board meeting if there were plans to reduce the number of printers even further.

Wilcox said, overall, he thinks there will be a reduction, but there are many instances in which employees need copies fast.

Hammann said the printers and devices that Central Office employees will no longer be using, and that are in good shape, will be distributed to schools.

Several schools had "dead printers," and the school system delayed buying new ones because the plan was to change printing operations and redistribute the older printers.

The devices that no longer work will be recycled so none of those materials end up in a landfill, Hammann said.

Washington County School Is Being Charged $18K a Month in Toner Costs
Washington County school system tries to get printing costs under control
Washington County Public Schools is putting in place new leased printers and software to help reduce printing and copying costs that had reached approximately $18,000 per month in toner alone at its administrative complex, school system officials said.

Washington County Public Schools is putting in place new leased printers and software to help reduce printing and copying costs that had reached approximately $18,000 per month in toner alone at its administrative complex, school system officials said.

 

The new leasing arrangement costs almost $1 million over 63 months, and is projected to reduce costs by $116,290 over the life of the lease, according to school system documents. 

The lease arrangement, which includes toner, parts, maintenance and support services, is expected to reduce toner costs alone by an estimated $1,845 per month, according to documents and Arnold Hammann, the school system's director of information technology.

The layout of the school system's previous administrative complex, on Commonwealth Avenue, and that the older printers were hardwired didn't lend itself to networked printers, Hammann said. 

When those employees moved into the Center for Educational Services on Downsville Pike almost a year ago, many of them came with the printer that sat on their old desk. The same was true of several other administrative employees who were based at schools and moved to Downsville Pike, Hammann said.

Last month, the Board of Education approved the lease with Centric Business Systems that costs $15,638.64 per month, or $985,234.32 over the 63-month life of the lease, according to documents.

Now, large jobs will be forced to one of the large multifunction units that's designed to print 100 copies, and cost less to do so, Hammann said. Employees who still have access to a desktop printer will not be able to print off that many copies with the desktop printer, he said.

During the Dec. 9 board meeting, board member Mike Guessford asked about the number of printers and employees in the administrative complex.

Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said almost every desk had a printer and printing costs were "skyrocketing."

With the new lease arrangement, the number of printers at the Central Office will go from about 160 to 99, Hammann said. In many cases, two employees will share one of the smaller printers, he said.

Guessford asked at the board meeting if there were plans to reduce the number of printers even further.

Wilcox said, overall, he thinks there will be a reduction, but there are many instances in which employees need copies fast.

Hammann said the printers and devices that Central Office employees will no longer be using, and that are in good shape, will be distributed to schools.

Several schools had "dead printers," and the school system delayed buying new ones because the plan was to change printing operations and redistribute the older printers.

The devices that no longer work will be recycled so none of those materials end up in a landfill, Hammann said.

[Author]

January 15, 2015 at 11:13 AM