Rechargeable batteries are not overkill for school gear.

Using a good NiMH charger for school calculators and small devices is smart, not overkill.

Calculators are the perfect use case for rechargeable AAs and AAAs. They don’t draw much power, so a decent set of low-discharge NiMH cells lasts months between charges. And the charger pays for itself after the first few packs of alkaline batteries you don’t buy.

One thing to check: devices that expect 1.5V alkaline batteries can act weird on 1.2V rechargeables. Calculators almost never care, but some toys, clocks, or cheap wireless mice might. If the device runs fine on alkalines and you don’t want a surprise, test it with the rechargeables first.

Get a branded charger with over-discharge protection and low self-discharge batteries, not the cheapest thing on the shelf. A modest setup handles calculators, remotes, game controllers, and flashlights for years.

This is not where you save six