Thread: School Dumps Thousands in Unused Supplies

Northwest Middle School Dumps Thousands in Unused School Supplies
Updated: Friday, 22 Jul 2011, 12:36 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 21 Jul 2011, 8:51 PM CDT

By Dane Placko, FOX Chicago News

Chicago - At a time when Chicago Public Schools are struggling for money, residents might be surprised by what FOX Chicago News found in the dumpster behind one school on the Northwest Side.

Thousands of dollars in school supplies - most of them unused - tossed in the trash at Northwest Middle School in the 5200 block of West Palmer, in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood.

The concerned viewer, who tipped off FOX Chicago, was outraged by the waste they found. As school officials preparing for the new year dumped boxes and boxes of unopened school supplies straight into the trash.

The tipster said to check the dumpsters behind Northwest Middle School. Sure enough, in one of the dumpsters lay thousands of dollars worth of books and unused school supplies that had apparently been tossed out in just the past few days.

Boxes and boxes of unopened chalk in packs of 12, enough to supply hundreds of classrooms for an entire school year, were found in that dumpster. At $0.89 a box, that’s just over $10 per pack, wasted.

There were also reams of unopened writing paper, drawing pads, bottles of glue at $1.19 each, boxes and boxes of books – some used, others brand new - and hundreds of textbooks and test preparation booklets.

Not a single page was marked.

Hundreds of rolls of adhesive tape, at just under $6 a piece, had been dumped, still inside the office depot boxes that were delivered to the school.
FOX Chicago wondered how Northwest Middle School could afford to simply throw away these valuable supplies, at a time CPS is facing a budget deficit in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

When asked the reason behind throwing out all the supplies, Principal Marilyn Strojny explained they were conducting inventory.

"To actually know what our inventory was,â€

Want free pet food? Find out what day the local Pets Mart or whatever takes out of date pet products off the shelf, it is usually the same day every week. It will go into the dumpster. I know someone who gets all their pet food this way. He has hundreds of pounds of dog and cat food, chew toys ect and has not bought any in years. Sometimes he gets 15 or 20 bags at a time.

The school could have had a garage sale/offered the supplies to the community.

Chicago has one of the highest tax rates in the nation so I don't imagine this is going to sit well with taxpayers.

Originally Posted by USPatriot

The school could have had a garage sale/offered the supplies to the community.

Chicago has one of the highest tax rates in the nation so I don't imagine this is going to sit well with taxpayers.

Goodwill, other thrift stores and churches would have been happy to receive it too.

I don't understand why they would throw away all of the school supplies. Kids love to do things with it. Give them the tape, chalk, some paper and a pair of safety scissors. They would be in seventh heaven creating fun things to play with! There are always rainy and cold days when you don't have recess outside and these items would have been perfect to keep the kids occupied.

I'm sure if this school had a PTA or PTO the parents would have loved to have the supplies for a fundraiser or to use as prizes for a school carnival, as rewards for making a goal, or for doing good work.

This principal has no imagination. Kids love this stuff!