Aitkin School District will be buying local after approval of the copier and printer proposal during a special meeting on July 28. Both The Office Shop of Aitkin and Marco of Brainerd submitted proposals for review. Each company estimated costs for a total of eight new printing units, split between the high school and Rippleside Elementary.
Marco came in as the lower estimated proposal of $38,354.00 a year, with The Office Shop at $44,493.08. Business Manager Tiffany Gustin said by adding the school’s current cost of maintenance agreements and leases, as well as toner costs, either proposal will be a cost savings.
A recommendation was put forward by the Districtwide Technology Steering Committee to go with the lower bid. Superintendent”Brad Kelvington said, “I respect the work the committee put in on this to find the best value for the school district.”
Selecting The Office Shop was more expensive, but the board took into consideration the business owner is a community member and tax payer of the district.
“That holds some weight,” said member John Chute. “It’s a known service that has been very good.” Member Dennis Hasskamp agreed.
The Office Shop owner Scott Johnson was present, and stated he would work with district staff to narrow down the estimates on printer specifications. This may provide more cost savings, explained Gustin. The hardware will be on a 48-month lease, and the district will pay a monthly lease for the equipment on a per-copy basis.
The district will have additional savings with the new printing system. The board discussed how the upgrade will save money on paper, toner and maintenance. The new printers’ compatibility with the recently adopted 1:1 technology will increase efficiency as the school moves forward with its four-year technology integration plan.
Staff and student print jobs will be sent to one centralized print queue, accessible to all machines connected to it. With the scan of a badge, students and staff can pick up their print jobs at any of the eight new units, or any of the existing 10 HP printers.