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District plans about $150,000 reduction in instructional materials budget while keeping classroom access
Summary
Dr. Sarah Adams presented the proposed instructional materials budget for fiscal year 2025–26, saying the district has cut roughly $150,000 through program evaluation and consolidation while preserving student access to materials. Science hands-on kit costs were reduced and K–12 ELA procurement may be narrowed to K–5.
Dr. Sarah Adams, the district’s instructional materials lead, presented the Monroe County Schools proposed instructional materials budget for the 2025–26 school year and told the board the district has reduced projected spending by about $150,000 without cutting access to student materials.
Adams said staff conducted a program evaluation that considered usage, fidelity, teacher input and alignment with curriculum standards, and that the district used usage data and “rapid cycle evaluations” to guide purchasing decisions. She said the district is working with the University of South Florida and the RTI project as part of the evaluation.
In the presentation Adams described changes in science purchasing: teachers largely selected a K–8 hands-on kit referenced in the transcript as “McGrew,” and staff deployed an algorithm to provide one-to-one access while cutting the projected cost of those kits by about three quarters compared with the initial estimate. Adams said secondary teachers prefer class sets rather than one-to-one textbooks and that the district will prioritize class sets and ancillary materials where appropriate, including for a personal financial literacy program.
Adams also told the board that the planned K–12 English language arts adoption is under discussion and the district is considering narrowing that procurement to K–5 to better align with priorities and available funds. She said renewals and rationales will show where purchases replace or consolidate prior products so the board can track duplication elimination and cost savings.
Board members asked specifically whether the district had audited software duplication and unused licenses. Adams said that the team had checked for duplication and usage as a first step and that the renewals will reflect eliminations where appropriate; she said clarifying information is included in the renewal rationales.
There was no formal vote on the instructional materials presentation; Adams said the process is ongoing, that some contract renewals remain under negotiation and that she will return with updated totals and rationales as procurement decisions finalize.
