Exhibit 12.1
School Specialty, Inc.
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
(Dollars in Thousands)
Nine Months Ended Fiscal Year (1)
---------------------------------------------------------
January 26, 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997
---------------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
Earnings
- --------
Income before income taxes $ 45,475 $ 21,353 $ 33,635 $ 17,615 $ 10,719 $ 5,720
Plus:
Fixed charges 11,954 16,142 13,342 12,735 5,505 4,197
Amortization of capitalized interest 16 - - - - -
Less interest capitalized during period 240 - - - - -
----------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
$ 57,205 $ 37,495 $ 46,977 $ 30,350 $ 16,224 $ 9,917
================= =========================================================
Fixed Charges
- -------------
Interest $ 10,760 $ 15,483 $ 12,752 $ 12,265 $ 5,505 $ 4,197
Portion of rent expense representative
of interest 51 88 15 2 - -
Amortization of deferred financing fees 1,143 571 575 468 - -
----------------- ---------------------------------------------------------
$ 11,954 $ 16,142 $ 13,342 $ 12,735 $ 5,505 $ 4,197
================= =========================================================
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges 4.8 2.3 3.5 2.4 2.9 2.4
================= =========================================================
(1) All fiscal years presented were 52 weeks, except for fiscal 2000, which had
53 weeks.