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Board approves McGraw-Hill Wonders pilot for 4th–5th grades amid teacher concerns over textbook access
Summary
Trustees approved a pilot purchase of McGraw-Hill Wonders curriculum for fourth and fifth grades; teachers and union representatives warned parts of the district still lack state-adopted textbooks and said students in several grade levels may start the year without equitable access to current materials.
The Carpinteria Unified School District board on Aug. 12 approved a pilot purchase of the McGraw-Hill Wonders curriculum for fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms.
Board staff presented the recommendation and a trustee moved and seconded the purchase; the board approved the motion on the record. The agenda description identified the purchase as a pilot for those grade levels.
Public comment immediately preceding the vote was lengthy and focused on broader textbook access across the district. Teacher leaders and union representatives said some middle-school grades—specifically sixth through eighth grade science and history at the middle school—do not have current student textbooks or equivalent instructional materials for the 2025–26 school year. Speakers said the district’s earlier decision to pursue a paperless model did not materialize, that laptops previously provided to students had been removed, and that staff requests for book purchases had not been fulfilled in time. Commenters cited the Williams settlement obligation requiring access to instructional materials and urged the district to ensure equitable textbook access at both school and home.
District staff affirmed that the McGraw-Hill Wonders purchase addresses fourth- and fifth-grade curriculum needs and that curriculum purchases for other grades remain under review. A staff member asked clarifying questions on whether the curriculum request pertained to fourth and fifth grade; the record shows board members and staff discussed that curriculum procurement for feeder grades is related to the broader curriculum pipeline.
The board approved the McGraw-Hill Wonders pilot; staff will proceed with the purchase and implementation steps for the fourth- and fifth-grade pilot and report back as needed on textbook availability for other grade levels.
