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Preparing ahead for peace of mind

A powerful solution to help schools stay stocked up on classroom supplies for the future.

June 14, 2024


Summer break is right around the corner. Are you starting to think about sunscreen, BBQs, beaches, flip-flops, and … school supplies? Summer typically provides a welcome respite for students, educators, and staff alike, which is why stocking up on new classroom supplies before vacation starts may be one of the last things on your mind. But as it turns out, the weeks leading up to the end of the school year are a great time to start planning for everyone’s return in the fall.

 

Are your classrooms equipped for back-to-school?

Unless you’ve been consistently restocking each of your school’s classrooms throughout the school year, chances are that items such as pens, paper, markers, paperclips, and more may be dwindling or already out. In addition, some of the technology in your classrooms may not be functioning as well as it did in the fall due to months of wear and tear — and you may have budget left to spend that won’t roll over into the next school year.


Dollars and sense

According to a blog about the purchasing cycle of school districts, more than half of educational institutions finalize their budget between April and June.1 This may be called the “goals setting” or “needs assessment” phase, and it’s when most schools begin and then finalize their purchasing plans for the next academic year.

Statistics from the Education Data Initiative indicate that K–12 schools spend $794.7 billion or $16,080 per pupil annually. Federal, state, and local governments provide $810.0 billion or $16,390 per pupil to fund K–12 public education.2 

Budgets like these can certainly go a long way in helping entire districts stay stocked up on classroom supplies, but some schools and their departments have a “use it or lose it” approach, so large portions of this allocated spend can get left by the wayside and go untouched.


Staying ahead of the supplies curve

Instead of putting off ordering supplies for your classrooms until the last minute and having to scour multiple websites or visit numerous stores for competitive pricing on classroom supplies, there’s a way to order the supplies you’re looking for well in advance, so you — and the teachers in your school — can enjoy summer with peace of mind: future ordering.

Office Depot Business offers a Future Order Program that allows your school to place its back-to-school order of classroom supplies before the end of the school year,* with delivery 21–180 days in the future. This allows schools to simply place one order for a future date, get one delivery from a local distribution center, and streamline accounting with one bill. It’s an easy and efficient way to prepare ahead while streamlining the purchasing process.


Maximize time and savings

Schools looking to take advantage of the Office Depot® Business Future Order Program can simply click on the future order icon when filling their shopping carts. This enables purchases of 1,400 of the most high-demand, nationally stocked school products to be consolidated into one future delivery and billing date. Items from this specialized assortment are continuously stocked nationwide and include:

  • Writing                        

Office Depot Business is committed to helping you meet the demands that your school and district face every day, so you can help your students succeed. Contact your Office Depot® Business account manager or visit business.officedepot.com/futureorder for more details.

 

Source

1. https://agile-ed.com/school-districts-purchasing-cycle/

2. https://educationdata.org/public-education-spending-statistics

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is” and neither the author nor ODP Business Solutions warrant the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.

*This feature has been designed to allow you to place your orders now for future delivery. This should only be used for orders you wish delivered in NO LESS THAN 21 DAYS and NO GREATER THAN 180 DAYS. Not all items are eligible for future delivery. If you order an item that is not eligible, you will receive an error message notifying you that the item is ineligible and should be ordered for standard delivery (within 1–20 days).

Office Depot Business updates pricing, product, and service assortment on a regular basis as a result of a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, market and competitive forces, and reserves the right to change pricing and product assortment at any time without notice. Offers are non-transferable. Office Depot Business reserves the right to limit quantities sold to each customer. We are not responsible for errors.

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