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Hot Tip #1:  Save your organization hundreds or thousands of dollars per year!  Implement these six essentials!  

1. Buy non-OEM black ink cartridges instead of OEM HERE!  Example: HP45's for less than $5.00.  Black remanufactured cartridges are normally good for photo printing. Avoid remanufactured color cartridges if you print photos because the colors may vary slightly. Remanufactured color cartridges are normally okay for teacher/office use. Trying to refill your own cartridges has the risk of a messy disaster and the extra labor eliminates the savings.  

2. Change your default printing preferences on all school computers to draft or fast draft which prints faster.  Draft mode normally works great for school use.  Users can always change their preferences for individual prints from File and Print and Preferences when they want a better print quality.  You can change the default settings to draft for all jobs in Control Panel (not from printer preferences in your browser or publishing program).  This will save you a ton of ink!   

3. Spend a little more for paper with a higher brightness number (i.e. 92-100), because paper is less expensive than ink!  An extra dollar for a ream of paper makes draft printing look like normal printing and will save you several dollars of ink! 

4. Try making most school documents available from your website, and let users consume their own ink.   Many e-mail programs now let you create newsletter-looking messages that you send out via e-mail.   

5. Consider an older "workhorse" printer for volume users like the secretary. Older HP's that use black 45's or 15's will keep cost per copy under 1 penny.  (i.e. HP 700-722 uses HP45's) Newer printers do not use larger capacity cartridges, have more expensive remanufactured cartridge options until they are older, and do not hold as many sheets in the tray.    

6. Most schools are now purchasing multi-function type printers.  This essentially puts a copier on each desk. This is great for small copy numbers, but staff should be regularly reminded to use the school copier for larger quantities. They should also be reminded to make black copies instead of color on their classroom printer. 

Hot Tip #2: Save your school hundreds or thousands of dollars!  Older CRT monitors, especially 17" and larger, consume an enormous amount of electricity compared to new monitors.  This type of monitor should be shut off when not in use.  The expense of a newer LCD (flat screen) monitor can often be recaptured in two years' savings on electricity.  Newer monitors will also reduce the load on the circuits in your room and save you desk space.  Older heavy monitors will bow tables in less than two years.  Older monitors also expensively emit more heat which can raise your energy bill due to air conditioning.  When soliciting computer donations, specify that you only need flat screen monitors and do not need CRT monitors.  CRT's are getting more expensive to dispose of each year.

Hot Tip #3: Setup a PayPal donation link on your school website so you can give parents that have fallen behind in tuition an option to pay via credit card. It will cost you about 3% of their payment, but it is better for them to owe a bank than your school!  Mention this option when sending a suspension letter or going through with the uncomfortable phone call or meeting.  Do you have students that want to enroll in your school, but you cannot take them for whatever reason?  Suggest a homeschool program that includes extra help for new homeschoolers!  At least you offer an option when you have to turn families down.  Eastern U.S.:  Southeast Academy  Western U.S.: Western Christian Academy