District seeks approval to buy AP chemistry and statistics texts tied to new courses

District high-school staff told the committee they are requesting permission to purchase two class sets of textbooks: 30 consumable copies of Biozone Chemistry Explained to support a newly adopted AP Chemistry course and 30 hardcover copies of Pearson Elementary Statistics to replace a 20-year-old statistics text.

The presenter said nine students are currently enrolled in the first-run AP Chemistry section and that administrators expect enrollment could grow in future offerings. The Biozone text includes a digital platform and is consumable; staff proposed purchasing 30 copies to cover three course cycles before a replacement decision is needed. The statistics text is a hardcover class set with a digital teacher component; no separate workbook was identified.

Both purchases are accounted for in the 2026–27 curriculum-instruction budget, the presenter said, but must be approved before July 1 to be charged in the current budget year. Committee members raised questions about format (hard copy vs. ebook), consumable nature, and alignment with dual-enrollment options; presenters said the district maintains active dual-enrollment partnerships and budgets for associated fees when students enroll.

Next steps: staff will include the textbook purchases on the upcoming board agenda for approval so purchases can be completed before the fiscal-year cutoff.