DARIEN, IL – A proposed $475 student fee at Hinsdale High School District 86 would cover the costs of students’ print and electronic books, officials said Thursday.
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Under the plan, though, the schools would not keep the print versions year after year. At the end of the school year, the students would keep the books.
At a school board meeting, member Peggy James questioned the costs related to the proposal.
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“I know you don’t want to be in the book business, but I’m a little concerned about the waste that comes from ordering a new book every year and then giving it to the families to do with as they please. So families with four kids may have four of the same book,” James said.
Under the current system, families pick up the costs of books. But officials figure the district can save money with bulk discounts if the schools buy the books, rather than families.
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Officials were asked about the trend toward converting to electronic textbooks.
“We’re not quite there,” said Keith Bockwoldt, the district’s chief information officer. “I think we’re moving pretty well in that direction, but teachers have different styles, students have different learning modalities. So it’s not like you can just cut the cord and say we’re going electronic. It takes some time.”
At the meeting, officials said the fee would make the district more efficient.
“The district is not looking to increase any revenue from the change,” said Josh Stephenson, the chief financial officer. “We’re just basically rolling all of the individual fees into a comprehensive fee … and create a simpler process for parents, students and the district as a whole.
The school board is expected to vote on the fee in a couple of weeks. Patch wrote a story about the fee Wednesday.
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