Staples steps in to supply Saugus schools

SAUGUS – When the School Department’s budget was cut last spring, one of the line items to hit the cutting room floor was supplies.That meant the warehouse of supplies was to be emptied, divided among the schools and when it ran out it ran out. It seems, however, it might not run out as soon as once thought.During its brief organizational meeting Thursday School Committee member Christine Wilson said Staples, the office supply store, has stepped up to the plate and donated several pallets of supplies to the schools.”The committee will have to vote to accept this,” Wilson said, “but they already delivered half of the stuff (Wednesday).”Wilson said last summer she ran into the manager of the office superstore, Paul Allen, who she knows, and he mentioned that when they have a turnover in inventory they generally give the old stock away. In fact, he told her he had just given a load of supplies away to another organization.”I said the next time you need to call me,” she said with a laugh, “and he did.”Wilson said the supplies donated include pens, pencils, mechanical pencils, locker shelves, folders, markers, construction paper, glue pens, bulletin board borders and dozens of other items.”The supply budget was cut last spring so this will be a big help,” Wilson said. “We had to tell students to bring in stuff because of the cuts.”Lynnhurst School Principal Susan Carney agreed the extra supplies would be a blessing. Carney said students were asked this year to bring in basics such as pencils, glue sticks and crayons, that they were never asked to bring in before.”This will help a great deal,” she said.Committee member Wendy Reed, who served on a subcommittee dealing with supplies, was quick to point out that all the classrooms were stocked at the beginning of the year.”There was enough for all the schools,” she said. “The only thing we were short on was composition paper.”She did concede that the additional supplies would help the schools make it through the year, however.Wilson said the rest of the donation would arrive this week, everything would then be inventoried and divided among the schools.”This will save us a ton of money,” she said. “It is really great.”