Since our boys in in high school now, we don't seem to get all the requests for classroom supplies, except perhaps the occasional box of tissues. I haven't heard whether the elementary schools in our district have gone off the deep end asking for cleaning supplies and toilet paper. I sure hope not. We're in the process of building an overly expensive and grand new high school. Taxes went through the roof, and plenty of people are mad at the school board. I think if the same citizens had to supply toilet paper and hand sanitizers, it would cause quite a stir.
Back when we were kids, our parents had to supply a lot of our books as well as papers, pencils, etc. I remember going with my mother to the place that sold all the paperback workbooks for first grade and bringing home brand new educational materials. A few years later, there was some ruling that all this stuff had to be supplied by the school district, right down to pencils and paper. Apparently it discriminated against the poor. Now we're back to supplying lots of stuff but it's communal supplies rather than books for individual use. Funny how things work out.
I recall reading about it on threads here at FR last year.
We do have a limit on the # of boxes of facial tissue we can request per month. We are limited to two boxes, after that I buy them with my own money for the class.
If I am not mistaken federal income taxes permit up to $250/year for teacher supplies. I know I go way over the 250 but figure it is just part of the job description.