2026 State of Educational Print

Why three of the four largest K–12 markets adopting curriculum at once makes 2026 a print-capacity event publishers can’t afford to plan for late.

Every few years, the educational publishing calendar lines up in a way that reshapes print demand. 2026–2027 is one of those windows. Texas, Florida, and California are all running major adoption cycles at the same time, the first time in recent memory the three largest markets have overlapped, while shorter runs, tariff pressure, and a consolidating field of manufacturers change what a dependable supply chain looks like.

Our annual report pulls the data together and adds what we’re seeing firsthand on our own presses, so publishers can plan capacity before an adoption approval turns a gap into a crisis.

What’s inside the report

Print vs. digital, settled by the research. What the evidence actually says about comprehension and retention for K–8 — and why it still favors print.

The 19 adoption states — and the 3 driving 2026. A map of which states have cycles in the window, with Texas, Florida, and California broken out by scope and student count.

Four supply-chain shifts are reshaping production. Shorter runs, tariff exposure, leaner inventory, and a narrowing field of manufacturing partners.

B&B’s outlook, and the 4 capabilities that matter. What separates publishers who capitalize on 2026 from those who scramble for capacity.