Textbooks Update

Greetings & Salutations!

I hope everyone has had a smooth start to the school year! Knowing first-hand how busy August is for you, I've tried to "lie low" last month. Now, as the calendar has flipped to September (perhaps someone can tell the thermostat outside, right?…), I wanted to reach out & share some info. We have a few materials that we are still shipping out - a few items that were backordered or were recently sent to us. And we have one elem social studies publisher for whom we are still waiting for enough content to send out to some of you. Hopefully, we can wrap this up soon. If you have any questions, you can contact me at my new email address pchappell@publisherswarehouse.com, Wendi Spencer (accounts payable for all districts; county districts F-Z), Yvonne Odom (city districts F-Z; private/charter schools), or Tiara Banks (city & county districts, A-E).

I wanted to mention a few things to you regarding this school year to help you get started on the right foot. First, after two big years in a row, it's a fairly light adoption year! The only real item on the schedule is Digital Literacy - & those resources are not tied to specific courses.

Your state textbook allocation funding for this year is $100 per student based on your ADM from the previous year. Since it is a lighter adoption year, there is no supplemental allocation this year (the approx. $30 per student extra you've enjoyed for the science & social studies adoptions). I would advise that some primary goals for the use of funding this year would be:

  • Payment of any balance owed to PW from payment plans from FY 26 (about 30 districts)
  • Math 3-year Gap Packages - FY 27 is year-6 of your original math purchase from 2021. So you have the last of your math consumables now for this year. In order to keep the digital lights turned on & to continue receiving consumable texts (mostly K-5 & 6-8 - some high school) until the next math COS & textbook adoptions, you will need to purchase gap packages from us this year. Assuming you remain with your present choices, you would NOT need a textbook committee to purchase gap packages, as your district has already adopted those resources. We will be getting off list local contracts for math from the publishers posted on our website later this month. More details later - just putting this on your radar.
  • Arts Ed Resources - Many of you did NOT have the funds to purchase Arts Ed last year if you wanted them. It might be something you consider this year.
  • Fill-In resources / shoring up any shortages in other adopted resources - a good year to catch up, as needed.
  • Supplemental Resources - Another choice would be to add supplemental resources in targeted areas of need. Remember that if you have not previously adopted those resources, you WOULD need to go through a review & adoption for that within your district in order to use these state funds. Reminder: State Textbook Funds may ONLY be used for student instructional resources that have been reviewed/recommended by your local committee & approved by your local board.

On Oct. 1, you will receive your annual email from PW regarding your FY 28 numbers for consumable texts in ELA/Reading, Science, & Social Studies (math, for most of you, is done - thus the gap package). The email includes your allocation numbers available based on your year-1 purchase of each resource. You are able to shift those numbers within grade span bands without buying more books, as long as you don't go over. As always, we ask that you send us those numbers by Halloween.

Finally, for those who are new(er) in your roles this year, I am offering my yearly 90-minute training sessions via zoom. This is basically the session I did at MEGA, so those of you who came to that may not need to attend again - though you're certainly welcome! Click Here for the zoom hyperlinks, but the dates/times are:

  • Wed, Sept. 16 - 8:30 to 10:30
  • Friday, Sept. 18 - 1:00 to 2:30
  • Tuesday, Sept. 22 - 11:00 to 12:30​​
These 3 choices are the SAME sessions repeated - just offered at different dates/times for your convenience. No charge; no registration - just click the link abovet to enter the zoom!

I am planning to visit with some of you in person in September & October, especially if you are new. I'll be reaching out to you in the coming days to see if we can set up a brief visit. I like to be able to customize all of this general info to your unique district (everyone is different!) & answer any questions you may have.

Email blasts of this content go out to several folks in your district - so if you've had changes to curriculum directors or textbook coordinators, please let me know.

I hope this school year is the best one ever for you & the students & teachers you serve! Please reach out to us if we can help.

Thanks

- Patrick