Information for Portland Public Schools Employees

We support you and your students! Here’s how …

Mission and vision

Since opening our doors in 1999, the Schoolhouse Supplies mission remains the same: to support public education in the Portland area by providing free school supplies to students in need. We do this because we believe that every child deserves school supplies and has the right to a quality education regardless of circumstance. With the community’s support, Schoolhouse Supplies has distributed nearly $30 million in free school supplies. Last year, over $3.2 million in product was distributed to Portland Public Schools.

Our programs

The Free Store for Teachers is the core of the mission. Supply drives, community partnerships and charitable giving keep the shelves stocked.

• Last year, teachers made 5,266 shopping trips for free supplies.

• Instead of price tags, there are limits on the amount of each supply a teacher can take, based on inventory levels.

• The average value of a shopping trip is approximately $350 worth of supplies.

• Each PPS school is assigned multiple shopping weeks throughout the school year and classroom teachers may shop once during each assigned week.

Tools for Schools connects sponsors with schools to provide backpacks filled with supplies to support an entire year of learning for every student. This school year, over 10,000 Portland Public School students at high need schools received school supplies through this program.