Committee ranks Cengage top for Personal Finance; board to consider recommendation Jan. 13

Lake County Schools staff presented a ranked recommendation for Personal Finance and Money Management (PFMM) instructional materials on Jan. 6, saying the committee ranked five materials and placed Cengage first. Because the state approved list for PFMM was not yet available at presentation time, the committee recommended a ranked order rather than a single, state‑aligned adoption.

Kelly Dodd, the district's instructional materials and media manager, told the board the PFMM committee used a rubric aligned to Florida Department of Education standards and assigned points for first through fifth preferences. Committee scoring placed Cengage as the first choice based on the number of first‑place votes and total points; McGraw Hill and Ramsey Solutions appeared lower in the ranked results.

Costs and contingency plan

Presenters showed an estimated total cost for the recommended PFMM premium bundle (hardbound student text, five‑year digital access and consumable activity guide) of about $371,000 (presented as $300,000 plus $67,000 in the slide discussion). Staff said if Cengage does not appear on the state approved list, the committee recommended continuing deliberation and would consider McGraw Hill or Ramsey materials if they secure state approval.

Course pairing and scheduling concerns

Board members raised scheduling challenges: PFMM is a semester course and several schools struggle to pair it with other semester electives. Staff said the district has recommended pairings on file and that some schools are considering offering PFMM to seniors (staff favored a senior‑year placement), pairing PFMM with half‑credit electives, or pairing it with American Government for some schedules. Staff noted course directory changes at the state level mean some past pairings are no longer available and districts are still adjusting.

Process, timeline and next steps

Because the PFMM state list had not been finalized, the committee presented a ranked recommendation to the board; the board will consider the committee’s recommendation at the Jan. 13 meeting. If the board approves, the district will publish the 30‑calendar‑day objection period beginning Jan. 14 and proceed with purchasing in April, pending any objections and vendor/state approvals.

Ending

Board members asked for additional detail on pricing negotiations and potential state discounts; the McGraw Hill representative in the room said vendors may offer discounts above state prices but that state‑adopted prices are generally consistent across districts. Staff offered to follow up with vendors about potential pricing concessions and to provide more granular cost breakdowns ahead of the Jan. 13 vote.