The Importance of Printing in K-12 Schools

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are over 129,000 elementary and secondary schools (both public and private) in the United States. Whether funded publicly or privately, each of these institutions strives to educate the nearly 60 million students enrolled.1 Print still plays a vital role in the education industry’s efforts to better serve these students. K-12 schools use printing to support key operational areas such as learning and teaching materials, extra-curricular activities, fundraising and promotional activities, admissions and human resources services, and alumni and community relations activities.

Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends’ most recent survey of the education industry2 found that K- 12 schools produce a variety of applications. Specifically, the study found that 50% to 60% of printed work is direct instructional or teaching materials, such as student workbooks, writing journals, practice sheets, and tests; while about 15% to 30% of print jobs are educational support materials, such as diplomas, certificates, report cards, and newsletters. Other sources reveal that the balance of work produced for the schools by the in-house printing facilities are stationery-type products, such as business cards, letterhead, envelopes, and notepads. In- house bindery services are simple and include plastic coil, tape binding, booklet making, drilling, folding, tabs, and cutting.