Wake County parents fight for new textbooks
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Parents at a Wake County high school are taking matters into their own hands after years of cuts to textbook funding at the state level.
"This is the way it came to me," said Sanderson High School senior Grace Smith as she held up a 19-year-old Calculus book bound with duct tape. "They're so old. They just fall apart."
Replacing the books is taking longer and getting harder to do. Parents are now stepping in after school administrators asked for help.
They're trying to raise $30,000 to buy new textbooks, e-book, and other digital supplies as part of their "No Fuss Fundraiser". So far, they've received $6,000.
"I think the kids almost think it's funny if a page drops out, or they have to duct tape it together," said Sanderson High PTSA member Linda McDonald.
While Wake County Schools is slowly transitioning to digital learning with the help of local money, a classroom without textbooks is still years away.
"The funding reduction has presented a challenge for us to provide the same type of resources that we had historically," said WCPSS Assistant Superintendent for Academics, Todd Wirt. "Luckily, we've found ways and we've used funds differently to try to plug in holes."
In 2008-2009, North Carolina spent $67.15 on school textbooks per K-12 student. The funding fell to $14.86 in the 2014-2015 school year, which is a 7 percent reduction.
Click here to see the public school's 2013-15 budget.
"That doesn't even buy one text book sometimes," said McDonald.
Dr. Robin McCoy is in charge of K-12 curriculum in North Carolina. She came up through the ranks and remembers exactly when the hammer first fell after the recession in 2010. Textbook funding was cut to $1.69 per student.
"That's a real blow, and we thought how in the world are we going to be able to adequately supply our classrooms," said McCoy.
Since then, North Carolina teachers and students have been limping along when it comes to new textbooks. In middle and high school, textbooks generally cost upwards of $80 each, but the problem is well past new books.
In many cases, McCoy says there aren't enough old ones either and, sometimes, not enough for students to take home.
"I think the urgency is here," said McCoy. "The urgency is now. We need to be able to support our classrooms with adequate funding."
To donate to Sanderson High School's "No Fuss" Fundraiser contact Linda McDonald at shsnofuss@gmail.com.
