Science Kit FAQS

To help facilitate your rental, here are some questions (and answers!) about the kits.

•  How much does a kit cost? •  How long may I keep it? •  What if something's missing or broken? •  How do I pick up the kit and return it? •  How does billing work? •  How do I need to prepare the kit for return?

 

•  How much does a kit cost? The rental fee is $35.00 per rental block.
See schedule of rental blocks.

•  How long may I keep it? When you reserve a kit or pick up one, you sign an agreement that states you'll return the kit by the appropriate date. If you do not return the kit by that date, we charge a $10.00/week late fee. This is because it is very labor intensive to check the kits, restock them, and arrange with the next teacher for pick-up. It is vital that we have enough time to turn them around. We understand that extreme weather, illness, and other unpredictable circumstances come up, however, and will do our best to make reasonable accommodations.

•  What if something's missing or broken? If you discover something is missing when you get the kit or as you are packing it up to return to us, please let us know. Most items are covered by the rental fee, however non-consumable items might not be. Again, we try to be as reasonable as possible when considering whether we have to charge for replacements. If you find that you've run out of something or need a different piece of equipment, give us a call.

•  How do I pick up the kit and return it? The Collaborative is generally open Monday through Thursday, from 1:00-5:00 pm, but it is best to call ahead and make sure someone is there to sign out or receive the kit. We are pretty flexible and can make arrangements with you to meet at a different time, or in a different place, or to figure out whether we can work out pick-up and drop-off via a third party (e.g., you might not live or work near here, but have a neighbor who drives past us every day.).

•  How does billing work? We bill you after you have picked up the kit. If we have received a PO, we send the invoice to your district. If we do not have a PO, we send the invoice to you directly.

•  How do I need to prepare the kit for return? Please do your best to pack everything neatly and sensibly in the kit. Larger, heavier items on the bottom, lighter, more fragile items toward the top. If you keep the inventory list handy, this also serves as a packing list and will help you know which items to retrieve from your classroom. Please return small, easy-to-lose items in plastic bags.

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	Our policy is: First come, first served in terms of requesting kits; Available to all schools within our service area of twelve Supervisory Unions. Fee is $35 per classroom for 2007-8. This includes replacement of single-use materials in the kit. Damaged or missing parts will be charged to your school. ($10.00/week late charge)
Delivery and pick-up: We will work this out with you in the best way that we can, hoping to avoid high shipping costs. If you ship a kit to us (in order to return it), it must be shipped prepaid. To reserve a kit today, please fill-out our Kit Rental Form. More questions? Contact Kits at the Learning Collaborative.