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Board tables $63,000 McGraw Hill purchase after trustees question timing and evidence base
Summary
Trustees delayed a $63,000 purchase of McGraw Hill instructional materials for one campus, citing concerns over timing, redundancy with district programs and evidence about effectiveness; the board voted to table the item and asked staff to work with the principal.
The Waco ISD board voted to table a $63,000 purchase request from McGraw Hill for instructional reading materials for pre-K through grade 2 at JH Hines after trustees raised questions about timing, overlap with district interventions and the program's research base.
A committee member (speaker 2) said the purchase request arrived late in the year and asked why the district would buy a program when existing district-approved interventions are showing results. "$65,000 for 3.5 months, it's a little concerning," the trustee said, adding that some research has questioned the program's effects for students with specific learning needs. Dr. Kornblum (speaker 14) responded that the principal had sought the program before accepting the position and that the purchase would supplement, not replace, core instruction and would be used for tiered intervention in targeted grades.
After discussion the board moved to table the McGraw Hill item until the next meeting so staff could work with the principal to find an aligned or comparable approach. The board then approved the remainder of the purchase requests over $50,000, excluding the tabled item.
