Office Supply Store Central Tucson

Teachers leaning on parents for supplies

Having worked as a teacher for more than a decade, Amber Schlak has seen many changes. But something she never expected to see was the day when standard supplies like Post-it notes, Scotch tape and copy paper would become precious commodities.

Severe state budget cuts over the last several years have created that scenario not only at Schlak's school - Gale Elementary - but at others across the Tucson-area as well. Because of the increased need, many parents are being asked to donate items that stretch beyond a student's individual use to include supplies for the entire class or to fill the supply closet in the front office.

That's the case at Gale, where there is no budget for supplies.

"At one point we had $25 per student and over the years that decreased - last year we were down to $10 - but I don't recall a time where we've had nothing," said Paula Godfrey, who has served as principal at the school for 12 years.

In the Tucson Unified School District, campuses are allocated budget points. Gale was given 15.38 points - 15 teachers cost one point each, so that didn't leave much to work with. Godfrey had to choose between buying supplies or applying the remainder of the budget to substitutes, custodial supplies and monitors.

She chose the latter.

"We are relying on the generosity of our parents and the supplies I was able to order last year," she said.

In reaching out to parents, she knows they may also be struggling financially. In a letter, she let parents know they shouldn't feel pressured to buy everything on the supply lists. Rather, they should only get what they can afford and what they can find on sale.

A parent herself, Schlak understands the situation all too well. In addition to buying supplies for her own two children, she spends as much as $500 at the beginning of the school year to ensure her kindergartners have what they need. It would be more, she said, if not for parents and community members who have responded with overwhelming support.

USPS Announces Retail Replacement Option

The USPS has announced the proposed downsizing/rightsizing from the current 100,000 retail outlets for postal services across the country to a smaller number of retail outlets. The USPS contends that the number of people doing business online, at shopping destinations, and with smart phones justifies the reduction of postal facilities.

The future of the USPS retail network is being analyzed by studying thousands of  retail offices to determine customer needs. The USPS also announced a retail replacement option for those that will be impacted by the rightsizing.

According to the USPS, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue is generated from retail locations and  www.usps.com . Additionally, the USPS adds that current habits of mail customers are reducing the demand for a physical post office. 

The concept of the “Village Post Office” is proposed as an alternative for communities that don’t have a postal retail outlet that would be affected by the retail rightsizing effort. These Village Post Offices would be within and part of local businesses that are appropriate retail sites with convenient locations. Certain items and services such as postage stamps and packaging for flat-rate will be available at the “Village Post Office.”

The USPS wants to work with third-party retailers to make it convenient and easy for postal customers to access mail products and services. They want the needs of their customers met in the most efficient and community friendly manner possible.

There are currently more than 30,000 retail offices and about 70,000 third-party retailers providing stamps and other postal products and services. MSI continues to evaluate what impact the Post Office reduction may have on mail marketing .

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