Committee adds digital‑textbook language and review regulation to Policy 108

At the April 1 policy committee meeting Dr. Heather Collins presented updates to Policy 108 to reflect that textbooks now include digital formats and to add clearer delegation language that requires consultation with administrative and professional staff when textbooks are selected. Collins said the district will also direct the superintendent or designee to develop an administrative regulation setting out procedures for reviewing, evaluating and selecting textbooks so that materials brought to the board come from a documented team process.

Board members asked whether novels and other classroom reading material would fall under the policy. Collins answered that novels required as core curricular materials (class sets purchased for whole‑class instruction) should be reviewed and presented for board consideration, while optional or leisure reading commonly in classroom libraries would not typically be processed as a formal textbook adoption. She said updates to department review forms and the forthcoming administrative regulation will make the process transparent to the public.

The committee described the changes as straightforward and necessary to clarify how the district will evaluate a mix of print and digital instructional materials; no formal vote was recorded at the committee level during this session.