Ordering from Lakeshore Learning: 3 Scenarios, the Back-to-School Sale, and a Whiteboard Trick That Actually Works

There's no single right way to order from Lakeshore Learning. I've been managing classroom supply orders for a K-8 school since 2020—roughly $90k a year across a mix of vendors—and I've learned that the answer depends on who you are, what you're outfitting, and when you're ordering. Some people need the whole catalog in their hands. Others just need copy paper and a few specific items before Monday.

So instead of pretending there's one perfect system, here are three common scenarios I've dealt with, plus the advice that actually helped—and a quick fix for that permanent marker problem you probably searched for.

Scenario 1: You're a First-Year Teacher Building a Classroom From Scratch

If you're starting with four bare walls, this is where the physical Lakeshore Learning catalog earns its weight. I've watched new teachers spend an hour online and still miss things they didn't know existed until they saw them in print. There's something about flipping through real pages that triggers, "Oh, we need that."

Request the catalog directly from their website (lakeshorelearning.com—there's a "Request a Catalog" link at the top). Or grab one in-store if you're near an outlet. I keep a copy on my desk because every now and then, a teacher comes in with a tabbed page and says, "Can we get these?"

Also, sign up for their teacher discount before you order anything. It's a straightforward 15% off for educators, and it stacks with some sale items. I think the signup takes about three minutes. Maybe five if you have to dig for your faculty ID.

What to prioritize

• Basic supplies: pencils, markers, glue sticks, scissors—buy enough for the first two months, then restock.
• Classroom management tools: pocket charts, timers, and a sturdy bell or chime. These are non-negotiable for sanity.
• A dedicated feelings or gratitude corner. I'm not a curriculum expert, but I've seen something as simple as a gratitude journal calm down a rowdy class after recess. Lakeshore carries them in bulk packs.

What you can skip: decorative stuff. The themed borders and cutouts are tempting, but you can always add those later. Prioritize function first.

Scenario 2: You're an Experienced Teacher Restocking Mid-Year

This is the trap I see all the time: teachers who've been doing this for years still sit and flip through the entire catalog every time they need copy paper. You don't need that. You need a reorder list.

For everyday consumables like copy paper, I'd skip Lakeshore altogether unless you're bundling it with other items. The shipping alone can eat the savings. Paper is heavy. I've found better pricing from office supply vendors once you're ordering multiple cases. But here's the exception: if you're ordering a few cases along with other classroom materials, Lakeshore's pricing becomes competitive because you're already paying one shipping charge.

As for timing, the big Lakeshore Learning back to school sale—the one with the deep discounts—usually lands in July. If you're restocking in November, you're not going to get those July prices. And that's fine. The sale is aimed at people setting up rooms for fall, not for someone who just ran out of dry-erase markers.

What I'd order from Lakeshore mid-year: anything that requires durability—carrying cases, storage bins, reusable supplies. Their things take a beating. I've had $4 plastic trays from a big-box store crack within a month, while the Lakeshore equivalent lasted two school years. To be fair, they're also triple the price. But sometimes you pay for durability.

Quick trick: permanent marker off a whiteboard

You didn't search for that by accident. The trick that works every time: write over the permanent marker with a dry-erase marker, let it sit for a few seconds, then wipe with an eraser or cloth. The solvent in the dry-erase ink dissolves the permanent one. It's saved me more times than I can count—especially when a well-meaning aide labels the whiteboard with Sharpie.

If you're dealing with stubborn residue, rubbing alcohol also works, but the dry-erase trick is faster and you already have a marker in your hand.

Scenario 3: You're an Administrator Ordering for a Whole School or District

This is my world. When you're ordering for multiple classrooms, the game changes completely.

The back-to-school sale actually matters for big-ticket items. If you're buying classroom rugs, easels, or furniture sets for 20 rooms, waiting for the July sale can save you thousands. I know it sounds obvious, but I've seen admins place $15k orders in March and then scramble when the budget gets approved. The timing isn't just about price—it's about delivery windows.

In our 2024 consolidation, we placed one bulk order in June to hit the July sale, and everything arrived in stages. That staggered delivery actually worked because teachers were already in and out of the building. The downside: Lakeshore's free shipping threshold is fairly low (around $59), but for bulky items like furniture, they quote freight separately. Verify that before you post a P.O. number.

For office-style supplies—copy paper, toner, general stationery—I still use a different supplier. Lakeshore is for teaching supplies, not for running the school office. That's a line I've learned to keep firm.

One admin-specific lesson

For the love of your accounting department, confirm whether your school is tax-exempt and how Lakeshore handles that. In 2023, I submitted a P.O. without verifying the W-9 process and the invoice came back with tax charged. Took three weeks and two phone calls to fix. Everyone's got a policy. Learn theirs before you order, not after.

How to Tell Which Scenario You Fit

Ask yourself two questions:

1. What are you setting up? A new classroom from empty walls? Start with the full catalog. A classroom that's already running? Build a reorder list and skip the browsing.
2. Who pays and who's accountable? If you're spending your own money as a teacher, the teacher discount and individual product pricing matter most. If you're spending a school P.O., the official invoicing and bulk sale timing matter more.

The truth is, I use Lakeshore Learning in all three scenarios—just differently. In my first year as a purchasing coordinator, I treated every vendor the same: found the cheapest unit price and ordered. Everything I'd read about procurement said the lowest bid wins. In practice, for education supplies at least, the conventional wisdom doesn't always hold. The schools that suffer the most are the ones who order based purely on unit cost and ignore shipping, delivery windows, and whether the product will survive third-grade hands.

Lakeshore isn't the cheapest vendor in every category. But for things that take a beating, their stuff lasts, and their educator discount softens the blow. Know when to use them, know when to order paper elsewhere, and always—always—double-check the whiteboard before you label it with permanent marker.

Pricing and sale dates are as accurate as I can recall as of January 2025; verify current offers on Lakeshore's official site before placing a big order.