The Washington County Board of Education voted to adopt Savvas (Savvas Learning Company) K–12 science instructional materials and authorized purchase order 4894 to acquire the materials for district classrooms.

The textbook-adoption committee — made up of school representatives who reviewed publisher materials, collected teacher feedback and ran classroom trials — recommended Savvas for K–12 science instruction. Board members approved the committee’s recommendation during the April 3 meeting following public comment and a motion to issue the purchase order.

The district presentation noted the high-school science materials are included in two corporate lines (Pearson and Savvas) at the secondary level; the district told the board Savvas will ship publisher materials to Tennessee Book Company, which will reship to the district. That change is expected to save about $60,000 in shipping costs, the presentation said. The board approved the purchase order identified as PO 4894 for the adoption as presented.

Public comment at the meeting included local parents who supported the committee’s recommendation. Resident and parent Jeri Ann Paul said she had reviewed the materials and “found that teachers nationwide recommend Savvas textbooks, especially in science.” Another commenter, Kimberly Jones, urged the board to consider additional safety language in facility-use policies; her remarks were recorded during the public-comment period that also covered the adoption vote.

Board members and staff publicly thanked the teacher committee and named representatives from each school who participated in the evaluation and collection of teacher feedback. The board moved and seconded the adoption and the associated purchase order; the motion carried.

The district staff said the K–12 science adoption will be followed by a social-studies adoption cycle next school year. The district will manage distribution via Tennessee Book Company to reduce in-state shipping costs.

Copies of the committee’s recommendation, the vendor quotations and the PO number are retained in the district procurement record for the adoption.