End of Year Disposal Guidelines

Introduction

As we conclude the year, many consumable items of instruction are discarded and/or disposed of at school sites and offices.  Textbooks are returned and inventoried, and some are damaged or unusable.  In an effort to dispose of these items in the most fiscally responsible and environmentally conscious manner, the following protocol has been established.  Please review this protocol with your teachers and staff prior to late May of the current school year, so that all are aware before they begin their end-of-year closeout procedures.

Shredding

• Only confidential items containing student or employee records are to be identified for shredding. 
• Place only these items in the designated shredding containers at each school or office site. 

Recycling

• Cardboard, paper, magazines, junk mail, plastic bottles/cans/containers/caps, aluminum, beverage cans, food cans, jars, glass can all be recycled.
• All paper not containing confidential student or employee information can be recycled. 

Trash/Refuse

• Any items not suitable to recycle can be put into trash receptacles.
• This includes wood, rubber, food waste, plastic bags, plastic wrap, and Styrofoam. 

Media Materials Disposal

Procedures for Disposal of Approved Media Books:

• Media Staff should follow their guidelines for weeding materials that has been shared with them by Heather Wysokinski.
• Once the media specialist makes the decision that the item can leave the collection, a black sharpie should be used to cross out barcodes and any SMCPS/school markings.
• Children's books that are in bad shape should be recycled.  Books that are in acceptable shape but are not being read can be offered to students to take home. 
• Remember to remove all SMCPS or School Name identification from the materials before disposal. 
• If more than 10 boxes, put in a work order for pick up to be disposed of at DSS. Your site's secretary can enter the work order request for the pick up. Under 10 boxes, dispose of at your site in recycling dumpsters. 

Textbook Disposal

Textbook Discard List (Requires an SMCPS Google Login)

If your school has textbooks that can no longer be used by students and need to be discarded, please follow these steps below:

1. Please check-in all textbooks slated for disposal prior to preparing for disposal.  This prevents students and teachers from having a “carry over” debt in our system that they should not be charged for. 
2. If schools keep textbooks that are slated for disposal, it is their responsibility for storage and disposal at a later date.  
3. Schools are permitted to give away textbooks slated for disposal to students to take home as long as they have been removed from the system and the barcodes have been marked through with a black sharpie. 

For all textbooks to be disposed of, the site administrator must initiate a maintenance work order by June 16, 2024, to have the textbooks picked up for disposal by the Operations Department over the summer.  Books must be boxed, sealed, and labeled describing their specific contents.  Please provide a copy of the signed approval to the Operations staff member at time of pickup.  Make sure all summer staff are aware where the books are stored so that when pick-up occurs they are easily located. 

Extra Resources

Many sites have an overage of consumables and other materials. Before discarding, check with Heather Wysokinski, the content area supervisor and/or Department Chair. At the end of each year, all students should take their consumables home.

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In Closing

Please see your building administrator for details as needed. Please contact Lisa Bachner at 301-475-5511, ext. 32249 if you have any questions regarding textbooks and their labeling and disposal. Ashley Varner can be reached at 301-475-4256, ext. 34131 for any questions or issues regarding shredding, recycling, or refuse. Thank you in advance for your attention to this important protocol.