Guidelines for Clearinghouse

Following are guidelines for the functioning of a clearinghouse whereby business and industry could make available surplus materials, supplies and equipment for use by local school systems.

1. The Tech Prep Resource Specialist, Calhoun Community College , will initially serve as the liaison for the clearinghouse.  Email address for the clearinghouse liaison is gzb@calhoun.edu
2. Each school will appoint a liaison through whom all school clearinghouse activities will be conducted.
3. Businesses will be contacted via internet by chambers of commerce to inform them of the creation of the clearinghouse along with a list of the kinds of items schools need (separate document) and an invitation to participate.
4. Participating businesses will appoint a liaison through whom all business clearinghouse activities will be conducted.
5. The clearinghouse liaison will intake lists of surplus items from businesses via the pages created on the Calhoun Workforce Development web page ( www.calhoun.edu/wd/clearinghouse ). Schools can view the list of surplus items via the “Clearinghouse” web page. Items will be numbered and tracked by the clearinghouse liaison. No business name will appear on the website and business contact information will not be made available to the schools by the clearinghouse until a specific claim for an item is made. Surplus items that have not been claimed by a school within five school days will be removed by the clearinghouse liaison. (The business representative may request a shorter or longer period of time for a specific item(s) from the clearinghouse liaison).
6. Each school representative will be responsible for monitoring the lists of surplus items on the clearinghouse website. School liaisons will have two school days to make their desire known to the clearinghouse liaison if they want any of the surplus item(s). Notification will be accepted ONLY by email (contact:  gzb@calhoun.edu) and items will be placed with schools on a “first come-first served” basis.
7. Notification Steps:
   • The clearinghouse liaison will provide the business rep with the contact information of the school claiming the item(s).
   • At the same time, the clearinghouse liaison will also provide the school representative the business contact information specific to the item to be claimed .
   • It will then be the responsibility of the school rep. to verify the claim by contacting the clearinghouse liaison and the business rep. within two school days regarding plans to pick up the item(s). It is the responsibility of the school to pick up the item within a time frame specified by the business.
   • If an item is not claimed by the school within the time frame specified by the business, the business may discard the item in the usual manner or it may place the item back on the clearinghouse , or if that item was requested by more than one school, the business may allow the next school “on line” to claim it. This second school would be notified by the clearinghouse liaison, the business would be notified and the school would be responsible for contacting the business within two school days to arrange to pick up the item.
   • In all cases, if the clearinghouse and the business are not contacted by the school within two days of clearinghouse notification, or if the item is not picked up by the school within the time frame specified by the business, the business is free to dispose of the item as seen fit or to contact the clearinghouse to place the item back in circulation.
8. Schools must pick up the wanted item(s) within three school days of verifying their claim on the item (i.e. a school will have five school days to make claim to the wanted items and to pick them up unless another time frame is agreed upon by both the business and the school).
9. Once a school has picked up an item(s), it must let the clearinghouse liaison know that the transfer has taken place for purposes of record-keeping.
10. The clearinghouse is a vehicle for business/industry to distribute surplus items only, therefore, specific school needs will not be posted.  Instead a list of "Examples of Materials, Supplies and Equipment Needed by School Systems" will be posted on the school needs page.  Participating businesses and industries may use this as a guideline, however, this list is not all inclusive and businesses and industries may post any surplus resources that they believe are appropriate for use by schools and educators.
11. The businesses will not be responsible for delivering the items.
12. Requests for surplus items will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis unless there is a more pressing evaluation as determined by the clearinghouse liaison.
13. Donated equipment should be in good working order unless it is scrap material that can be used as such by a school program.
14. Both the business and the school agree to abide by any software/license agreements, copyright restrictions or other limitations of use on any and all equipment, materials and supplies that pass through the clearinghouse.
15. The clearinghouse, Calhoun Community College and the business donating the items are relieved of any and all liability for items received by participating schools through the clearinghouse.
16. When a school picks up an item, a form is to be signed releasing the business and Calhoun Community College of any liability.  The business representative can download the form from the "Business and Industry" surplus items page on the clearinghouse website.
17. For the convenience of participating businesses and schools, the clearinghouse has provided an “Acknowledgement of Contributions” form that may be used for tax purposes. The school or business representative can download this form from the clearinghouse “School Needs” page.
18. It is understood that businesses will first offer the surplus items to their Partner-In-Education before making it available through the clearinghouse.
19. A business with unusually large number of items for donation may be asked to contact the schools directly regarding these items.