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School board
reads trouble in
textbook audit

The survey shows schools
don't have enough books and don't
spend enough to replace them

---

By Crystal Kua
Star-Bulletin

Hawaii's intermediate and high schools say they are short more than 134,000 textbooks, yet spend less on textbooks than in previous years, according to a Board of Education audit and survey.

The audit also showed that only about half of the schools responding to the survey comply with board policy on instructional materials.

But what also bothered school board members yesterday was that some schools didn't bother to respond to its survey.

"This is, to me, insubordination," board member Lex Brodie said.

Schools are required to formulate a plan on how they intend to acquire and replace textbooks. They also are required to inform parents about the textbook plan and its adequacy for meeting student needs.

But the audit showed that neither of those requirements is being met.

"We always hear there's not enough money for textbooks," Regular Education Committee Chairwoman Denise Matsumoto said.

'Almost like pulling teeth'

The audit, designed to see if schools were complying, included surveys sent to all schools that have intermediate and high school students.

Of the 85 schools surveyed, 71 responded. Some schools that did respond submitted incomplete surveys.

"Almost like pulling teeth to get some of these schools to respond," Executive Director Galen Onouye said.

The survey showed:

The average amount of money spent for textbooks generally declined. For example, high schools on the average were spending $42,623 for textbooks in the 1997-98 school year, while that amount was down to $31,707 last school year.

Fifty-eight schools reported 13,406 textbooks lost for the 1998-99 school year.

The amount of money collected by 68 schools for the 1998-99 school year for lost textbooks came to $147,522.

While some schools are doing better at reducing textbook losses, the amount of losses at certain schools still remains high.

Sixty-three schools responded that they need a total of 134,274 additional textbooks. Only two schools reported having sufficient textbooks.

The report recommended that schools keep better track of their textbooks acquisitions, replacements and losses.

And while the audit is also recommending that the board consider asking for more money from the Legislature for instructional materials, measures must be taken to reduce textbook losses before schools receive additional money.

Deterrent in the works

Officials are looking at a new rule to help.

The rule prohibits students from participating in extracurricular activities if they don't pay for or replace lost or damaged textbooks.

Matsumoto said the reason schools are spending less on textbooks may be due to the "lump sum" amount schools are given for their budgets.

"There's not enough textbooks because textbooks are so expensive," Matsumoto said.

"With lump sum budgeting, I think they decide to spend their money on something else. They make do with what they have."

Matsumoto said she was shocked to find out that some schools had decided not to buy any new textbooks in three years.

"All schools get money, so they must be saying, 'Well, we're not going to spend money on textbooks, we're going to save it on something else.' "