If you’ve ever managed school supply procurement, you know the feeling: you’re staring at a cart full of Lakeshore Learning staples—bulletin board paper, classroom rugs, art supplies, maybe even a UV printer for the makerspace—and you’re wondering, “Is this really the best use of my budget?”
The answer, honestly, depends. I’m an office administrator for a mid-sized school district—roughly 400 employees across 3 buildings. I manage about $150k annually in classroom and office supplies across 8 vendors. When I took over purchasing in 2020, I was told Lakeshore was a no-brainer. And for some things, they are. For others? You might be better off elsewhere.
Here’s the short version: Lakeshore Learning is excellent for specialized classroom decor, hands-on teaching aids, and durable manipulative materials. But their standard paper products and general office supplies? Not always the best value, especially if you’re buying in bulk.
There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Answer
Before I get into specifics, I need to say this: there is no single “best” supplier for everything a school needs. Anyone who tells you otherwise is probably selling you something. Your decision depends on three things:
- Your budget flexibility — Are you optimizing for cost, speed, or quality?
- Your volume — Are you buying for one classroom or a whole district?
- Your tolerance for inconsistency — Some suppliers are great 90% of the time; others are consistently average.
I’ve made mistakes in all three categories. Let me save you some time.
Scenario A: The Budget-Conscious Bulk Buyer
If your primary metric is cost per unit and you’re ordering large quantities (think 50+ rolls of bulletin board paper, 1000+ sheets of construction paper, 200+ markers), Lakeshore is often not the cheapest.
Back in 2022, I needed 60 rolls of bulletin board paper for a district-wide science fair theme. Lakeshore’s price was $24.99 per roll (36" x 50'). A bulk office supplies vendor quoted me $17.50 for a comparable product. Seemed like a no-brainer, right?
I went with the cheaper vendor. The paper arrived—and it was noticeably thinner. The color faded within two weeks under standard fluorescent lighting. The science fair looked… sad. I ended up re-ordering 30 rolls from Lakeshore at the last minute, paying for express shipping. Total cost? About $1,200, compared to the $1,050 I would have paid if I’d just bought all 60 rolls from Lakeshore upfront.
What I learned: Don’t compare price without comparing quality. For bulletin board paper that needs to last a month or more, the thicker stock from Lakeshore justifies the premium. For one-day events? The cheaper stuff works fine. Industry standard for bulletin board paper weight is typically 60-70 gsm (similar to 16-20 lb bond). Lakeshore’s is closer to 80 gsm. It matters.
Honest Advice: If you’re a budget buyer, use Lakeshore for the high-traffic, high-visibility items. For consumables like copy paper or basic construction paper, a dedicated office supplier will win on price. But always verify the paper weight.
As I mentioned, standard 20 lb bond = 75 gsm. Lakeshore’s 24 lb bond is roughly 90 gsm—better quality. If the cheaper supplier can’t confirm their paper weight, that’s a red flag.
Scenario B: The “Need It Fast and Reliable” Coordinator
When you have a deadline—like a teacher who needs Lakeshore Learning December Writing Prompts printed and posted by Monday morning—speed and reliability matter more than unit price.
I’ve had too many vendors promise 3-day shipping and deliver in 7. In 2023, I needed 500 printed copies of a custom journal template (I was helping a teacher who’d just read A Journal for Jordan and wanted to start a journaling unit). I went with a local print shop to save $80 on shipping. They took 9 days. The unit got delayed, and the teacher was frustrated.
Now, for anything time-sensitive, I use Lakeshore for their in-stock guarantees and consistent 3-5 day shipping. I know the color accuracy will be good—they use industry-standard paper stocks, and their prints don’t have the banding issues I’ve seen from budget online printers. The color tolerance is reliably within Delta E < 2 for their in-house brand materials, which is the professional standard for most schools.
But here’s the catch: Their UV printer services? Overpriced if you’re just doing basic labels. I paid a 40% premium for a UV-printed sign set compared to a specialized sign shop. For a makerspace, the UV printer itself might be worth it—but the printing service? Only if you need it tomorrow.
Scenario C: The Specialist—Teaching Resources & Unique Materials
This is where Lakeshore Learning truly shines. If you need the Lakeshore Learning December Writing Prompts poster set, or their specific classroom rugs, or their sand-and-water tables—nobody else carries those.
The mistake people make is trying to use Lakeshore as an all-in-one. Their product catalog is huge, but they’re not a commodity supplier. Their strength is in specialized teaching tools, not in being the cheapest box of pens.
For example, their teacher resource books and manipulatives are generally high-quality. I’ve bought their “How to Journal” classroom kits for multiple grades, and the structure is genuinely well-designed—better than some options from Teacher Created Resources that I’ve tried. The teachers I work with consistently rate Lakeshore’s educational materials as 4.5/5, compared to 3.8/5 for generic alternatives.
The Hidden Problem: Subscriptions and Consumables
One thing that’s often overlooked is the subscription cost for their digital resources. I almost signed up for a classroom subscription for seasonal writing prompts last year. The price seemed reasonable—$29.99/month per classroom. But for 20 classrooms, that’s $600/month, and the content is only available for the current month. Once December passes, you can’t access those prompts without keeping the subscription alive.
That’s a classic trap. I now only recommend digital subscriptions for small teams (3-5 teachers) who will actively use them. For larger deployments, buy the physical sets if available.
How to Know Which Scenario You’re In
Okay, here’s a practical framework I use:
- What’s your primary purchase type?
- Classroom decor, teaching aids, specialty materials → Scenario C. Use Lakeshore.
- Bulk paper or general office supplies → Scenario A. Get competitive quotes.
- Small quantities of anything, needed fast → Scenario B. Lakeshore is a safe bet.
- What’s your budget structure?
- Line-item budget, cost per unit is critical → You must shop around. Lakeshore won’t win on price for staples.
- Flexible budget, need it to work → Lakeshore’s quality justifies the cost.
- What’s your tolerance for risk?
- Low tolerance for late deliveries → Stick with established vendors like Lakeshore.
- Willing to gamble for savings → Test cheaper alternatives, but have a backup plan.
If you’ve read this far, you’re probably someone who wants to do the right thing for your teachers and students, but you’re also accountable to your finance team. I get it. I’ve been there.
Here’s my final honest take: Lakeshore Learning is a great tool in your procurement toolbox. But it’s not the only tool. Use them for what they’re great at, and don’t feel bad about buying cheap copy paper from someone else. Your teachers won’t notice the difference if the copier paper is a few grams lighter. They will notice if the bulletin board paper fades or the classroom rug isn’t what they expected.
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