We want to help schools across the United States because there are a lot of schools without enough supplies to go around. School budgets work like a funnel. Costs are divided up in rations for each district, school, program, activity and faculty member. Teachers are allotted an amount to spend per class on supplies. According to research, supplies at the beginning of a school year cost between $400 and $600 (excluding text books). This does not include the price of re-stocking any supplies that run out. So how does it add up? Here are some of the average prices from basic items that can be found in a classroom:

• A ream of 500 sheets of 8.5 x 11 inch paper- $7.00
• 50 sheets of lined paper- $3.00
• Pack of basic pens- $2.00-$3.00
• Pack of #2 pencils- $4.00-$5.00
• Pack of 3 erasers- $1.50
• Pack of 12 post-it pads- $15.00-$20.00
• Pad of lined paper- $5.00
• Pack of 4 dry-erase markers- $5.00
• Erasers for dry-erase board- $3.00
• 3 x 2 foot dry erase board- $150
• 8 x 4 foot dry erase board- $250.00-$500.00

These costs aren’t just for students. We know that students don’t typically buy their own 8-foot white board. But teachers have paid up to $1,000 out of pocket per year on their classes( via Riverdale Park). Yes, that’s right. Some of your teachers actually care enough about you to make sure their classrooms are properly supplied. According to U.S. Government Spending, the budget for education will drop by roughly $28.3 billion for pre-school to grade 12 by 2012.

Giving classrooms a product with multiple uses at a fraction of the cost (a.k.a. WhiteyBoard) is a step in the right direction. We’re going to pave the way, bit by bit.