English: Textbook (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Chris Hayes, Chief of Staff, Speaker Tillis’s Office
♦Some of you may have seen an article in today’s News & Observer regarding funding for textbooks. Link for the article is here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/12/15/3463202/nc-schools-deal-with-fewer-dollars.html
I know it may be hard to believe considering it’s a News & Observer story, but the article contains a number of factual errors, omissions and mischaracterizations that fail to provide an accurate picture. I’ll just highlight a couple of the most glaring.
CLAIM: “no money is set aside for computers or other digital devices for every student.”
FACT: Nearly $30 million was set aside in the budget in each of the next two years for digital learning and technology.
· $11,928,735 of lottery funds
· $18,000,000 from Civil Fines and Forfeiture fund allocated to the School Technology Fund
Additionally, LEAs have been given wide latitude to move money across allocations and spend money on how they best see fit to meet the individual needs of their district, so funding from sources like the $43 million for classroom supplies or the $200 million for low wealth could be used on textbooks as well.
Also of note, it was the Democrats in 2010 who cut textbook funding from $111.2 million to $2.5 million. Republicans have maintained funding textbooks at a level 9-10 times higher than what the Democrats left it.
Hope this helps.
