9 Must-Have School Office Supplies for Administrators

Start the school year right

It’s not just teachers who need to stock up supplies for the new school year—administrators need to make sure the main office has everything it needs to run, too. 

Of course, there are the pens, pencils and reams of paper your office staff will need to do the day-to-day business of keeping a school running. Beyond these basics, there are must-have school office supplies you’ll need to stay organized, efficient and comfortable throughout the school year. With a little preparation, you can set your main office up for success without draining the budget.

9 school office supplies no administrator should go without

1. Desk organizers

An organized desk is a clean desk. Instead of wondering where your pen wandered off to, consider investing in one or more desk organizers to keep your personal workspace tidy.

Here are just a few ways these organization supplies can put all of your day-to-day tools within reach while streamlining your workflow:

• A stacked paper tray can provide a system for handling incoming and outgoing paperwork. 

• A desktop stationery organizer keeps pens, pencils, highlighters, paper clips, thumb tacks and other must-have supplies within arm’s reach.

• A desk drawer organizer keeps your items in place without transforming your desk into the dreaded junk drawer.

2. A nice desk chair

Sitting down to check email doesn’t sound like a physically strenuous activity. A low-quality chair with poor back support can make it one, though. An ergonomic desk chair is one of the most critical school office supplies for anyone looking to reduce the likelihood of long-term back pain. 

For optimal comfort and support, choose a desk chair that offers the following:

• Adjustability options for chair height, seating angle and armrest placement.

• The ability to swivel and/or roll to increase range of movement.

• Lumbar support to improve lower-back health.

• Seating material that is both comfortable and breathable.

3. File cabinets

Paper will continue to pile up during the school year—but it doesn’t have to. File cabinets are crucial school office supplies for keeping student, teacher and school district records sorted. 

File cabinets come in vertical or horizontal configurations. Be sure to choose cabinets that can accommodate the size of the paperwork you plan to store inside. Some also include a lock and key in case you need to keep certain information (like student records) secured against theft. 

Accompany your file cabinet with assorted folders to keep papers from shuffling around inside. Choose color-coordinated folders for an extra-organized approach—sort by subject, school year or even quarter with easily identifiable color designations.

4. A label maker

Level up your classroom supplies organization efforts by adding a label maker to the mix. Electronic label makers make it easy to type out shelf or folder contents, set font and label sizes and then print and cut appropriately sized labels with the push of just a few buttons.

5. Bulletin boards

Look for bulletin board supplies that offer ample space for hanging up calendars, announcements and other important messages—you can even create a space to show off students’ stellar work from recent projects and activities. Some options even stretch out across the entire length of the wall, offering a blank canvas that is easy to change throughout the school year.

6 & 7. A printer & scanner

Every school’s main office should have its own printer and scanner. Current technology is both reliable and inexpensive enough that you can support your own needs as well as the occasional printout from students without breaking the bank. Plus, you won’t need to sacrifice speed or quality for the privilege.

Depending on your available space and your budget, you can either opt for separate devices to handle printing and scanning for optimal results or utilize the space-saving convenience of an all-in-one device. 

Whichever you choose, look for the following features:

• Black and white and color capabilities.

• Ethernet and WiFi connectivity to hook the device up to the local network.

• Speeds of 20 to 30 pages per minute for prints and up to 100 pages per minute for scanners with a sheet-feed mechanism.

• Scan quality of 300 to 600 dpi (dots per inch) for quality digital image replication.

8. Paper shredders

While it may be acceptable to recycle or throw away trash and old announcements, some files need to be disposed of with more care. An electronic paper shredder can help you make short work of these documents. 

Shredders come in all different shapes and sizes. Smaller desktop models are perfect for fitting into a compact space but are sometimes slower than traditional models. They also need to be emptied more frequently. Good options for most people can store up to eight gallons and shred up to 20 pages at a time.

9. Laminators

Need to reuse handouts across different classes—or even school years? Laminate them!

A portable laminator adds an outer plastic layer to important documents, protecting them from rips, tears and smudges. Don’t need to laminate documents on a regular basis? Pick up some self-laminating sheets to protect your papers without the need for a dedicated device.

Stock up on school office supplies at Walmart Business

Getting everything ready for the school year can be a stressful experience, but you don’t have to fret. From printers to paper and stickers to snacks, Walmart Business has the supplies to make the school year fun and rewarding for everyone. 

Does your school already have an account? Upgrade to a Walmart Business+ membership to take advantage of additional benefits like free shipping with no order minimum.¹ You could save over $500 a year while gaining exclusive rewards that your school can enjoy.² Click here to learn more.

¹ Excludes most Marketplace items, freight and certain location surcharges.

² Savings based on 1 free $35+ delivery order vs. $9.95 fee and 1 free shipping order under $35 vs. $6.99 fee biweekly, plus 2% Walmart Business Rewards on monthly order >$250 (average value of $400).