We couldn't find the 2 green folders with pockets and no prongs, though we found the other colors. So they picked out two random folders and I wrote GREEN on the top and side of them. I think they have prongs too. I also only bought 24 pencils each instead of the 48 on the list. I told my kids if they need more I'll buy them. Same with the 9 packs of wide ruled loose leaf paper. They each got two. I think I was supposed to get 24 crayons for one of them but the store only had 48 packs so that's what we got.
I like teachers to know up front who they are dealing with. I am a "close enough" type parent and they can expect "close enough" throughout the year from me.
I know in the neighboring county they ask for huge amounts of supplies because they put them all in one cupboard & they get shared out as needed & cover people who can't or won't buy their kids stuff. In ours everyone keeps their stuff to themselves, puts their names on it and it all comes home at the end of the year. The really strange part is I live in a poor rural county and the neighboring county is very affluent and I would have expected mine to the one pooling supplies.