We do not pay for copies or paper. It is expected, in our area, for the school to pay for that.
Last year before we were redisrticted our school gave us a hard time about putting PTO info in the newsletter...they always had more important info, so we paid the difference for them to use legal sized paper instead of letter...the difference was pennies basically.
We pay for our own paper and we pay the cost of the service contract and copies on the copy machine ($10,000 per year). We don't even get unlimited copies - if our number runs out before the end of the month we have to beg for more. Don't get me started on how unfair this is!
We have a risograph we can use for free, but it make lousy copies and you have to count them out yourself, it's hard to do two-sided, and it doesn't staple.
Three years ago, we purchased a risograph for the school. The school carries the service contract and provides all the paper for the school staff.
They have a Xerox Work Centre (yes, that is spelled right...lol) for the entire school to use. The school carries the service contract on that and provides all the paper for the school staff.
This year, we have purchased a new Xerox Work Centre (but a slightly smaller, less bells and whistles kind of deal) and we will carry the service contract for the next 3 years. The school provides all the paper for the school staff.
We pay for our own paper. We use what we call 'PTO Pink' paper (very bright pink). The school does not use that color. That way, when we send something home, it is easily identifiable as having come from our group.
We do not pay for copying we use the copy machines at school just like the staff but we do supply our own paper. If the schools bugdget does get tight later in the year we will purchse some toner or other supplies for the copiers for the school if they are needed, but that doen't happen to often.