Ask an Admin: Your Top 7 Questions About Nasco Education Supplies

Quick Answers to the Questions I Get Most Often

I'm an office administrator for a mid-sized private school. I manage all our supply ordering—roughly $150,000 annually across about 15 vendors. When I took over purchasing in 2020, Nasco Education was one of the first accounts I had to figure out. Here are the questions I hear most often from teachers and department heads. I'll give you the straight answers, plus a few things I learned the hard way.

1. What exactly is Nasco Education, and what do they sell?

Nasco Education is a one-stop supplier for schools. Think of them as the warehouse for everything from science lab cultures (like Bacillus subtilis) to art supplies, office equipment, and even classroom calculators. They're not just a reseller; they manufacture a lot of their own science and math kits. This is my go-to because instead of placing five separate orders for lab glassware, acrylic paint, and printer toner, I can consolidate it all into one. It saves my accounting team a decent chunk of time (which, honestly, is worth more than the small price differences I sometimes see elsewhere).

2. How do I find the Nasco Education address for returns or billing?

This is a common one. Their main office is in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. For returns, you need the specific warehouse address from your packing slip. I learned this the hard way after sending a return to the corporate office (which, surprise, surprise, just got forwarded anyway, delaying our refund by two weeks). The correct procedure is: check the return authorization (RA) form they email you. The address varies by warehouse (e.g., for science supplies vs. art supplies). Don't just guess based on the invoice header.

3. Can I use acrylic paint on fabric? (And where to find it on Nasco?)

Technically, yes. But the results vary wildly depending on the paint quality and the fabric type. I don't have hard data on long-term washability for every brand, but based on our art department's experimentation, standard student-grade acrylic is mediocre on fabric. It can be stiff and crack after a few washes. Nasco sells specifically formulated 'fabric paint' that performs much better for projects like t-shirts or tote bags. Search for 'fabric paint' on their site—don't just grab the standard acrylic. The art teachers here switched to the fabric-specific stuff and the final projects look 10x better. (Not that I'm an artist, but even I can see the difference.)

4. How do 'mean calculator' problems work? (And where to buy them?)

If a teacher asks for a 'mean calculator', they usually mean a calculator that can compute statistical means (averages) easily. For high school stats, a TI-84 is the standard. For younger grades, a simple scientific calculator with a statistical mode works fine. My experience is based on ordering about 30-40 calculators annually. If you're equipping a college-level stats lab, your needs might differ (you might want graphing calculators with CAS capabilities). Nasco categorizes these well under 'Math Supplies.' I usually filter by grade level to avoid buying something with features we don't need.

5. Is Nasco Education cheap? What about their promo codes?

Let's talk about cost the right way. The $500 quote from a random online shop turned into $800 after shipping and handling fees. Total cost of ownership (TCO), not just the unit price, is what matters. Nasco's pricing is competitive, but their real strength is reducing my process cost. I input one order, get one invoice, and one delivery. Their promo codes (you can usually find a 'Nasco Education promo code' for 10-15% off orders over $200) help offset the unit price. I wish I had tracked how much time I saved by consolidating vendors. Anecdotally, it's probably 6-8 hours a month. For a small admin team, that's significant.

6. What is an 'UV printer' and should our school buy one?

An UV printer uses ultraviolet light to cure ink instantly as it's printed. This means it can print on almost anything—plastic, metal, wood, acrylic. They are amazing for making school signage, custom club merchandise, and lab labels. However, they are expensive (think $5,000-$15,000+). I still kick myself for not doing a proper TCO analysis before we looked at one. The machine cost is just the start. You need special UV-curable inks, ventilation, and maintenance. For most K-12 schools, it's more cost-effective to order custom printed items from Nasco on-demand than to buy the printer. Unless your art or tech program runs a serious 'print-on-demand' business, it's a hard pass from a procurement perspective.

7. What's one thing people get wrong about ordering from Nasco?

Here's something vendors won't tell you: the first price isn't the final price for school districts. If you're a public school or a large district, you may qualify for a contracted pricing tier or volume discounts that aren't listed on the public website. Call your sales rep and ask about 'bid pricing' or 'contract pricing'. The 'let's just buy the cheapest thing' thinking comes from a lack of leverage. Nasco wants your recurring annual business. I've gotten an additional 5-8% off just by asking for a standard educational discount on a large quote. It's worth the 10-minute phone call. Granted, this requires more upfront work, but it saves real money later.