Stretched Schools Push to Extend Lifespan of Books
Even as dwindling state funding for new textbook purchases drives the search for alternative sources of information—mainly via the Internet, electronic databases, and licensing of e-books—schools in Kentucky are making do with the books they have, stretching out replacement cycles, and repairing worn volumes when practical.
State funding has fallen from $21 million in 2008 to nothing in the current biennium, said Nancy Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the Kentucky education department. The department and the state board of education are lobbying for more money the next time around, but 2013 isn't a budget year, she said.
In 2001, when Matt Baker was the principal at Lewis County High School, his district received more than $50 per student from the state for textbooks, said Mr. Baker, now districtwide-programs director for the...
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