Location: Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Date: June 2018 - May 2021
Contact: Alan Keller - akeller@hopkinton.k12.ma.us

Problem:
In 2012, Hopkinton decided to paint their chalkboards with whiteboard paint; specifically, IdeaPaint. Unfortunately, the erasability of the paint did not meet expectations. After only a few months, the boards were no longer erasing well, and Hopkinton Middle School needed to repaint their boards once again. When we first were introduced to Hopkinton, we were told they had been painting a fresh coat every 6 months to keep the boards functioning properly.

Action:
In 2018, Principal Keller asked us to resurface a few of these boards to test the quality. Since then, we have come back every summer to do a handful of additional classrooms. As of 2021, we have officially covered every board in the school with Think Board.

Response:
After positive results from our first test, Hopkinton Middle School continued replacing boards until the project was complete. To date, we have installed 56 Think Boards in 40 different classrooms. The total square footage adds up to 3,033 sq ft. Total cost including install - $27,000. For IdeaPaint, the raw material on this job would cost $16,000 and labor nearly doubles that cost. Right up front, Think Board was a money-saving decision for Hopkinton. In addition to that, if you factor in the cost of paint needed to repaint every 6 months, to date (May 2022) we have saved Hopkinton over $68,000 in paint costs alone, with an additional $32,000 in savings every year. By 2028 when our product is out of warranty, the total cost of Think Board will have been $27,000, vs $258,000 for whiteboard paint (not including paint installation cost at prevailing wages). With whiteboard paint installation fees included, it would be closer to $27,000 vs $500,000. We also continue to save Hopkinton’s custodial staff money and time with reduced labor needed in cleaning the Think Boards.