Managed Print Services helps school districts control printing costs by monitoring device usage, service history, supply consumption and cost per page. This data allows districts to identify underutilized printers, eliminate unnecessary equipment and place the right devices in the right locations.

A true Managed Print Services provider should be willing to recommend fewer printers when the data shows that is best for the customer.

Why School District Printer Fleets Become Oversized

School district printer fleets rarely become oversized because of one poor decision. More often, devices accumulate gradually as schools, departments and individual users respond to immediate needs without having complete visibility into the district’s overall print environment.

Common reasons include:

• Schools and departments purchase printers independently.
• New printers are added without older devices being removed.
• Inexpensive desktop printers appear affordable but have a high cost per page.
• Teachers and staff request nearby printers for convenience or confidentiality.
• Enrollment, staffing and workflows change while equipment remains in place.
• Districts lack centralized data showing usage, supply costs and service history.
• Grant funding or annual budgets encourage equipment purchases without accounting for long-term operating costs.
• Leaders may hesitate to remove devices because they are concerned about disrupting employees.

Over time, a district can end up supporting numerous low-volume printers that require toner, maintenance, network support and administrative attention—even though nearby multifunction printers could handle the same work more efficiently.

Managed Print Services provides the usage and cost data needed to distinguish between devices that are essential and those that are simply familiar. This allows a school district to right-size its printer fleet thoughtfully, while preserving accessibility, security and productivity for teachers and staff.

Using Print Data to Identify Unnecessary Costs

Print data gives school districts a clear picture of how each printer and multifunction device is actually being used. Rather than making decisions based on assumptions, districts can evaluate measurable information such as:

• Monthly print volume by device or department
• Cost per page for color and black-and-white printing
• Toner consumption and unused or expired supplies
• Frequency and cost of service calls
• Device age, reliability and energy consumption
• The number of nearby devices performing the same function
• Whether employees are using expensive desktop printers instead of more efficient shared devices
• How closely actual print volume matches each device’s capacity

For example, a desktop printer may produce relatively few pages each month but still require costly toner, maintenance and IT support. If a nearby multifunction printer can securely handle that volume, the smaller device may no longer be necessary.

Print data can also reveal opportunities to relocate equipment, consolidate devices, redirect print jobs, establish appropriate color-printing policies or replace several inefficient printers with one properly sized system.

However, data should never be considered without context. A low-volume printer may still be necessary for student confidentiality, accessibility, specialized applications or emergency use. The goal is not simply to remove printers—it is to ensure that every device has a valid purpose and provides value relative to its total operating cost.

Building Confidence Through Two and a Half Years of Results

Removing printers from a school environment is rarely as simple as identifying a low-volume device. Teachers and staff may depend on familiar equipment, administrators may be concerned about disrupting productivity, and certain locations may have legitimate needs involving accessibility, confidentiality or emergency use.

For this school district, the decision did not happen after a single report or recommendation. Over two and a half years, Doing Better Business monitored device usage, service history, supply consumption and operating costs. This created a reliable record of how the district’s printer fleet performed across different school years, staffing changes and periods of peak demand.

During that time, our team consistently reviewed the data with district leadership, explained where unnecessary costs were occurring and recommended opportunities for improvement. We also continued to demonstrate our commitment through responsive service, accurate reporting and recommendations based on the district’s best interests—not on placing more equipment.

That consistency helped transform the conversation. What may initially have felt like giving up convenience eventually became a data-supported opportunity to reduce waste and improve efficiency. District leaders could see that the targeted printers were consistently underutilized and that nearby equipment could support the required volume without disrupting employees.

After two and a half years, the district had both the evidence and the confidence to remove printers from select locations. It represents the most significant optimization milestone in our partnership so far—not because of the number of devices removed, but because it reflects the trust required to make a meaningful operational change.

True Managed Print Services is a long-term process. It requires accurate data, ongoing communication and the patience to help customers make informed decisions at the right time. Sometimes the greatest measure of success is not the equipment a provider installs, but the unnecessary equipment it helps a customer eliminate.

Removing Underutilized Printers Without Disrupting Staff

Successfully removing an underutilized printer involves more than unplugging the device. Before making a change, the district must confirm that employees have convenient access to another device that can accommodate their printing, scanning and copying needs.

The first step is evaluating how the printer is used. A device with low volume may still serve an important purpose because of its location, accessibility requirements or the confidential nature of the documents being printed. Input from teachers, administrators and support staff helps ensure that usage data is considered alongside day-to-day operational needs.

Before removing a printer, the district and its Managed Print Services provider should evaluate:

• The distance to the nearest alternative device
• Whether that device has enough capacity for the additional volume
• Color, finishing, scanning or specialized printing requirements
• Accessibility for employees with mobility limitations
• Confidentiality requirements for student, health or personnel records
• Network connectivity and print queue configurations
• Potential congestion during peak printing periods

Once a device is approved for removal, employees should be informed about what is changing, why the decision was made and which device they should use instead. Print drivers and default settings can be updated in advance so staff members do not have to locate or configure a new printer on their own.

Secure print release can also make shared devices more practical. Instead of documents sitting unattended in an output tray, employees can release confidential jobs when they arrive at the device. This helps protect sensitive information while reducing concerns about moving from individual printers to shared multifunction systems.

A phased approach may be appropriate for larger school districts. Removing a small group of printers first allows the district to monitor device capacity, employee feedback and service activity before expanding the optimization plan to additional locations.

After the change, print volumes and service performance should continue to be monitored. If a shared device begins experiencing excessive demand, adjustments can be made by relocating equipment, modifying workflows or restoring capacity where a legitimate need exists.

The objective is not to make printing less convenient. It is to remove unnecessary costs while ensuring teachers and staff retain reliable, secure and practical access to the technology they need. When changes are supported by data, communication and ongoing service, a school district can reduce its printer fleet without compromising productivity.

The Long-Term Value of School District Managed Print Services

The value of School District Managed Print Services extends far beyond toner delivery or copier maintenance. A well-managed program provides ongoing visibility into the district’s entire print environment, helping leaders control costs, improve reliability and make better technology decisions over time.

School environments continually change. Enrollment shifts, staffing levels fluctuate, academic programs evolve and new digital workflows reduce the need for certain types of printing. Without regular monitoring, a printer fleet that was appropriately designed several years ago can gradually become inefficient or oversized.

Managed Print Services allows the district to continuously compare equipment placement and capacity with actual usage. This long-term approach can provide several important benefits:

• More predictable printing costs: Centralized reporting helps districts understand what they are spending and develop more accurate budgets.
• Better equipment utilization: Devices can be relocated, consolidated or replaced based on actual demand rather than assumptions.
• Reduced burden on IT staff: Automated supply monitoring, coordinated service and centralized device management free internal technology teams to focus on educational priorities.
• Improved equipment reliability: Preventive maintenance and service history help identify devices that are becoming expensive or unreliable.
• Stronger print security: Standardized configurations, secure print release and updated equipment can better protect student, employee and administrative information.
• Less waste: Eliminating unnecessary devices and monitoring toner consumption can reduce excess supplies, energy usage and abandoned print jobs.
• Smarter replacement planning: Districts can replace equipment based on performance, cost and business need instead of relying solely on age.
• Greater consistency: Standardized devices, print settings and support processes can create a more dependable experience across schools and departments.

The data becomes increasingly valuable as the partnership continues. A single month may provide an incomplete picture, especially in education, where printing needs change throughout the academic year. Multiple years of information reveal seasonal patterns, long-term trends and recurring costs that might otherwise remain hidden.

Managed Print Services also creates accountability. Instead of allowing printers to accumulate through isolated purchasing decisions, the district has a structured process for evaluating whether a new device is truly needed. Each printer should have a clear purpose, an appropriate workload and a justifiable total cost of ownership.

Most importantly, the relationship should continue producing improvements after the initial implementation. A true Managed Print Services partner does not simply install equipment and maintain the existing fleet. The provider continually looks for opportunities to reduce costs, improve security, streamline workflows and eliminate equipment the district no longer needs.

For this school district, removing underutilized printers after two and a half years represents an important milestone—but not the end of the process. The long-term value lies in continuing to use data, communication and trusted guidance to ensure the district’s print environment evolves alongside its educational and operational needs.

Is Your School District’s Printer Fleet Properly Sized?

A properly sized school district printer fleet provides reliable and convenient access without requiring the district to maintain more equipment than it needs. The goal is not automatically to have fewer printers. It is to have the right combination of printers and multifunction devices, in the right locations, with the appropriate capacity, features and security.

Many districts cannot easily determine whether their fleets are properly sized because printer purchases have occurred over many years. Devices may have been acquired by individual schools, departments, grants or special programs without being incorporated into a districtwide print strategy.

Consider these questions:

• Do you know how many printers and multifunction devices the district currently operates?
• Can you see the monthly print volume and cost per page for each device?
• Are some desktop printers producing only a small number of pages?
• Are expensive color printers being used for documents that could be printed in black and white?
• Do multiple printers serve the same employees or physical area?
• Are employees printing to costly desktop devices when a more efficient multifunction printer is nearby?
• Is toner being purchased from multiple vendors or stored without centralized tracking?
• Are older devices generating frequent service calls or requiring internal IT support?
• Can confidential documents be released securely at shared devices?
• Has the district’s printer fleet been adjusted as enrollment, staffing and workflows have changed?
• Is there a consistent approval process for adding new printers?
• Does the district have a documented plan for replacing, relocating or retiring equipment?

If district leaders cannot easily answer these questions, the printer fleet may contain hidden costs and opportunities for improvement.

A comprehensive Managed Print Assessment can establish an accurate inventory and evaluate print volume, device capacity, service history, toner consumption, network connectivity, security requirements and total operating cost. It should also include conversations with employees to understand why devices are used and whether specialized needs exist.

The result may not always be a recommendation to remove equipment. Some schools may need devices relocated, replaced or added to address accessibility, security or productivity concerns. Other locations may be able to consolidate several underutilized printers into one appropriately sized multifunction system.

Printer fleet optimization is ultimately about balance. Teachers and staff need dependable access to technology, while school districts must be responsible stewards of limited resources. The right Managed Print Services strategy supports both priorities.

Is your school district paying to maintain printers that are rarely used?

Doing Better Business helps K–12 school districts evaluate, manage and continuously optimize their printer fleets using actual usage and cost data. If your district has not completed a comprehensive print assessment recently, we can help determine whether every device is delivering appropriate value. Request a Print Assessment Today!