Class Set Buying Guide: Boards, Markers, and the Replacement Math
Outfitting a whole class with whiteboards is a one-time decision with a three-part answer: boards, markers, erasers. Only one of the three wears out. Here's how the pieces fit together, and how to avoid the two most common mistakes: buying exactly enrollment, and treating markers like a one-time purchase.
What a class set actually includes
| Item | What to buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Boards | 11×16 boards, one per student plus spares | The durable part of the system: buy once, use for years |
| Markers | Student marker pack, one per student | The consumable: plan on reordering mid-year |
| Erasers | Student erasers, one per board | Optional, but they make the put-away routine automatic |
Or the one-box version: a combo kit bundles all three, boards and markers and erasers in matched counts. The real reason to choose the kit isn't the bundle; it's that nothing gets forgotten and everything arrives in one box, sized to the same class.
Going with 9×12 boards instead keeps the set lighter and easier to stack; the right call for K–2 desks, as covered in the size guide.
Mistake one: buying exactly enrollment
Boards go home in backpacks. Corners get chewed by the one desk with the metal burr. A new student arrives in October.
That's why our packs come in 30, 36, and 40: the 36 and 40 counts exist so a 28–30 student class has spares on the shelf. Buy roughly 20% over enrollment. For 28 students, the 36-pack is the practical choice: eight spares in the cabinet now beats a mismatched reorder in November.
The boards themselves are the durable part of the system. A rigid, non-porous student board is a multi-year purchase; classrooms run the same set for five years and more. Which brings us to the part that doesn't last.
Mistake two: treating markers as a one-time buy
Markers are the consumable. A student marker in daily use lasts roughly a grading period; plan on 2 to 3 markers per student per year, more in primary grades where caps stay off longer.
The pattern that works: buy a full class pack with the boards, then put two more packs in the supply order for January and spring. Reordering on a schedule is far less disruptive than 30 students sharing 11 working markers in February.
Two practical notes from the classrooms we supply:
- Tips crush before ink runs out in younger grades. Teach "feather, not press" early; it doubles marker life.
- Store markers flat or tip-down, never tip-up in a cup. Tip-up is the quiet marker killer.
Erasers: the honest answer
A clean sock or a folded felt square erases a whiteboard fine, and plenty of classrooms run exactly that way. What a purpose-made eraser buys you is longevity and routine: ours survive being dropped, washed, and used daily for years, and a matched set means the routine ("boards up, erase, boards down") runs without negotiation over whose sock it is.
If you're deciding what to add first and what can wait, start with boards and markers; erasers are the easiest piece to add later.
Making the set last
Three habits keep a class set working for years:
- Dry erase only. One permanent marker moment isn't fatal (trace over it with dry-erase ink and wipe), but a routine of checking marker labels is easier.
- Clean monthly, not daily. Daily erasing is enough day to day. A monthly pass with whiteboard cleaner (a single gallon lasts a hallway of classrooms a year) lifts the film that dry erasing leaves behind.
- Store flat. Stacked flat on a shelf, boards stay flat. Leaned in a warm corner, they learn to lean.
Ordering for a school or district
Buying for more than one classroom? We take purchase orders (see ordering) and we sell factory-direct at any quantity. If you're comparing us against a catalog distributor, compare at the 36-pack tier; that's usually where the difference is clearest.
Next in this series: the dry erase marker guide, which tips survive small hands, and why some ink ghosts.