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Bennington board approves $601,466 K–12 social studies curriculum adoption
Summary
The Bennington Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to buy new K–12 social studies materials across grades, an eight-year adoption totaling $601,466 and to be paid from the district's depreciation fund.
Bennington Public Schools Board of Education on May 12 voted unanimously to approve an eight-year K–12 social studies curriculum adoption totaling $601,466.
The adoption covers a mix of materials across grade bands: Studies Weekly for kindergarten through third grade, Teachers Curriculum Institute (TCI) for fifth grade (and aligned into middle school), and McGraw Hill continuing as the primary high school core with updated digital components. District leaders said the purchase will come from the district depreciation fund and is part of the regular eight-year adoption cycle for core instructional materials.
The board heard from the district's curriculum team that this process took about a year and included a committee that met repeatedly to evaluate materials and alignment with state standards. "This is a year long process when we do the adoption process, and the committee met approximately 8 times," said Kenny Holt, director of elementary education, during the presentation.
Why it matters: The adoption replaces older copyrights and is designed to add civic content, stronger digital resources and continuity across grade bands. District presenters said Studies Weekly offers consumable, magazine-style lessons and a robust online platform for K–3; TCI provides depth and a guaranteed update clause that the district found valuable for fifth grade and for alignment into middle school; and McGraw Hill will continue for the high school core with newer digital tools.
How it will be implemented: The district plans summer planning work funded by TIP grants, professional learning weeks for teachers in May and June and further training at the start of the school year. The district intends to use existing TIP grants and training windows so teachers can develop pacing guides and assessment plans before full implementation.
Funding and budget context: The board was told the district's depreciation fund balance is about $4.1 million and that the social studies purchase was included in the plan for textbook and materials purchases this fiscal year. District staff noted the social studies portion was estimated to be part of a larger $1 million outlay from depreciation for curriculum purchases this year.
Vote and next steps: The board approved the motion to purchase the K'12 social studies materials as presented; staff will proceed with ordering and the training schedule.
The board also discussed that some components will be phased in and that future updates or additional elective materials could create extra costs beyond this adoption.
