Editorial: Textbook shortage is sinful

Saturday, Dec. 16, 2000 | 12:36 p.m.

Students and parents in the Clark County School District have expressed their frustration about a textbook shortage that often results in students having to share books with each other. In some cases the lack of textbooks is so severe that students need permission from teachers to take them home.

An audit conducted by the Legislature's staff estimates that 35 percent of high schools employ a system where students share textbooks. The audit found that it's not uncommon for 100 students, from four or five classes, to share 30 available textbooks. One reason for sharing is that over time some teachers have discarded textbooks as the focal point of instruction, instead preparing their own materials. Yet auditors found that in many instances, unlike textbooks, these teacher-prepared materials hadn't been approved for use by the state. Teachers obviously should have the freedom to develop their own lesson plans, but such a wholesale substitution, which hasn't been approved, is worrisome.

The other reason for sharing textbooks is the lack of money. As the auditors noted, in 1999 the state set aside $11 million for instruction supplies, but the local school districts had to supplement this amount with an extra $15.9 million, which even then obviously wasn't enough. The bottom line is that the school districts must work with the Legislature to ensure that enough money is allocated for the purchase of textbooks, which are essential for a child to succeed.

In recent years there has been an emphasis on standardized testing to see how students are performing, whether it's individually, by school district, by state or even by nation. But if we expect students to achieve at a higher level, at a bare minimum we should provide them with enough textbooks. Anything less is disgraceful.