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Escambia Textbook Losses At $1.6 Million In Three Years, $163K From North Escambia Schools
April 15, 2010
Escambia County has lost $1.6 million worth of textbooks over the last three years — including $163,284.59 at North Escambia schools.
$1.6 million is a staggering number to Jeff Bergosh, District 1 Escambia County School Board member. “Do you know how many teacher salaries that represents? We need to find a way to collect this money,” he said.
Bergosh has collected itemized school by school numbers that he plans to present to the school board today. His data shows the number of text books at each school classified as lost or damaged — 18,710 books with $1,585,940.07 in unpaid fines — and the amount of fines actually paid — just $31,029.44.
High school numbers are the worst, with fines ranging from $205,640.10 for 2,379 books at Escambia High to $109,004.11 at Tate High for 1,906 missing or damaged books. Just one high school in the county had less than $100,000 worth of fines during the three year period — Northview.
At Northview, there were 116 missing or damaged books over the three year period, with fines of $10,242.43.
“They must be doing something right at Northview,” Bergosh said.
NorthEscambia.com found that Northview has a strict plan in place to make sure textbooks are returned — and they will even go looking for their books.
“We enforce our textbook policies,” Northview Principal Gayle Weaver said. “It’s something that we take very seriously.”
If a student at Northview owes textbook fines, they don’t march at graduation. They still receive their diploma, Weaver said, because that cannot be withheld. But with outstanding fines, there’s no pomp and circumstance.
When a student transfers out of Northview, or quits school, they still work to collect the books. Even if that means sending the visiting teacher/social worker directly to the former student’s home in search of textbooks.
“We diligently stay after the books,” Weaver said. Most of Northview’s lost textbooks, she said, actually end up in Alabama as students transfer across the line. “There’s no district system in place that allows us to pursue the books outside of the state.”
Bergosh said he is looking to the rest of the school board for a textbook fine collection procedure — perhaps a pay to play plan.
“If you want to pay sports or take part in extracurricular activities, you need to pay your fines,” he said. “You want a transcript? You need to pay.”
“Collecting these fines needs to be a priority; we just can’t afford to lose $1.6 million every three years,” Bergosh added.
The total three-year fines at the county’s middle schools range from a low of $3,756.08 for 46 books at Ernest Ward Middle School to $74,766.29 at Warrington Middle for 884 books. At Ransom Middle School in Cantonment, there were 147 books missing or damaged during the period with fines of $33.489.05.
At the elementary level, fines totaled $4,211.29 for 149 books at Bratt, $1,263.42 for 134 books at Jim Allen and $1,318.21 for 26 books at Molino Park.
Pictured top: A set of sixth grade books from Ernest Ward Middle School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
26 Responses to “Escambia Textbook Losses At $1.6 Million In Three Years, $163K From North Escambia Schools”
So we have to close schools to pay for lost books at other locations? Interesting. Can’t wait to hear the solution.
HEY YA’LL , WHAT ABOUT ISSUE ONE BOOK FOR EACH SUBJECT AS A BORROWED BOOK TO BE SIGNED-OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THEN AT YEARS END SIGN -IN.
ALONG WITH THE PARENTS SIGNATURE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
IF IT COMES UP LOST OR “MISPLACED” THE PARENT BUYS THE BOOK AND IT BECOMES A REPLACEMENT AND LIFE GOES ON.
*******
AND ONE MORE THOUGHT, HAVE A PARENT & STUDENT BOOK NIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTS TO GET BOOKS AND SIGNATURES.**********
Wow I can’t believe Atmore has one better on Northview!! If a child doesn’t return a text book or library book then he can’t get one next year until he pays the fine or returns the book. If he is going from elementary to middle then they send a list to that school. Common sense people.
REGARDING:
” Should we just say I’m sorry since you can’t buy a dvd player or cell phone you won’t have access to a textbook?”
That is ONE solution. Yes, I know I’m being hard-hearted to even consider making people responsible for their own readers, so let’s try another tack: Have a number of readers available to be checked out by those who actually can’t afford to buy one to use for twelve years (assuming they don’t carelessly destroy them in the mean time).
Instead of handing out and collecting books each year, taking a goodly portion of two days of class time inspecting, signing, inspecting, signing, hand out the disks and get to work–never ask for them back. This would be especially useful if their textbooks were already on the disks they got last year, since they could stick to what they already had and not get a new one until later in the school year–if ever.
Remember I’m thinking one disk could have everything used in second grade level, third grade, ….., twelfth grade, including calculus, accounting, See Spot Run, Algebra, chemistry, shop, anatomy, shorthand, literature, physics, economics, home economics, art, philosophy, biology, auto mechanics, geometry, dual enrollment calculus. Just throw it all in there and pay royalties based on what was used every year, based on enrollment and assigned texts. (I’m also remembering how my brother in the seventh grade would bring his literature book home for me to read when I was just in the third grade. Some kids could get ahead without a hassle. Some kids could review without a hassle.)
But back to your original point: there is no way all students should be required to tote fifty pounds of books and the district buy another fifty pounds of books per student every two or three years just because some kids’ parents couldn’t afford both readers and beer or dope too.
Tie it all to proper computer tutoring in school and teachers can concentrate on those who don’t learn that way or who have problems and need extra help.
Consider the environment–less wasted resources.
Consider the backs of the smaller students–less pain.
Consider the taxpayers who have to foot the costs of lost materials under current situation–situation normal, all fouled up.
Consider the schools who don’t have enough materials because last year’s class was too thoughtless to keep up with text books other than to draw ponographics into. (some are quite detailed, most show they need to study art more closely)
David for saturating the world with information
and then daring people to claim they didn’t have a chance
or find someone else to blame
It sounds simple to the lay person that if a student loses, transfers to another school, or damages a book his guardian/parent is legally responsible to pay for the book. Not so. Why the system does not have in place a standard that you do not get another book until you turn in your old ones or pay for them. Policymakers have been aware of these amounts for decades, yet have done little or nothing to change the situation. If a student transfers and turns nothing in some hs books are over $200/each so the bill for one student can easily be well over $500 today. Certainly Mr. Bergosh has been aware of this for a long time. Educators do not make the rules, they just have to follow them no matter how little common sense they make. We operate in a world where few individuals are responsible for their own behavior. This is just another example that we set.
I agree with the concept. It would also help kids learn the technology they need to keep up in the workplace. But in Atmore we have alot of kids who can’t afford things like this. Before you say it yes I know they have the money to get their Air Jordans but we also have some who don’t wear the Jordans and come to school in dirty, torn clothes. I have also witnessed one child that hid a hamburger in his pocket so he could eat it later for supper. What about those kids? Should we just say I’m sorry since you can’t buy a dvd player or cell phone you won’t have access to a textbook?
Nobody should have it until everybody has it? Make it available and see how long it takes everybody to get it for themselves.
The little portable DVD players with screens run less than a hundred dollars. They aren’t programmed for what I am talking about, but could be. Very few children lack cell phones even though they cost more.
For that matter, the information for each book could be provided through cell phones or other electronic media. Most books run less than a megabyte of memory, assume a text book needs much more, call it ten megabytes. You can currently get an 8 gig flash drive at Wal-Mart for $20 or so. That would hold more than 8 hundred books.
We have the technology, just not the imagination and it costs us.
David knowing they’re going to have them anyway.
David Huie Green
The dvds are a great idea but not all students have access to a computer so the schools would have to provide one to them.
need textbooks in electronic format and reader for each student.
Give them the entire set of textbooks for the entire school system on a single DVD at the beginning of each year, never ask for it back.
If they lose one, charge them the dollar it would take to replace the storage medium.
Pay royalties based on which ones are used in class by how many students.
Use the good ones as long as they are still good, update if they get dated.
Less weight on child, no time spent trying to keep up with them, most likely last year’s disk has this year’s texts if in a bind. Those wanting to get ahead can do so at their leisure.
Less worry, less hassle
David for practicality
Here’s one for thought……why don’t you have the parents and students at the beginning of the year sign a contract with stipulations and cost per book……NO DRIVER LICENSE FOR THAT STUDENT UNTIL ALL FINES ARE PAID IN FULL and then put in place where you can place the fines on their parents credit report.
Everything else is this country is based on your credit report anyways…..right!
To sort of go along with virtual school student…
My children are homeschooled, although we do not use virtual school. My aunt works for the school system in Holmes county. Every year she collects things destined for the trash: TONS student textbooks on every subject, DVDs, manipulatives, readers, the teacher curriculum, worksheets, flashcards, audio CD’s, full-size wall charts, you name it. It is all complete and in amazing shape. I asked her the first year why the school board was getting rid of it. Is there something wrong with it? Is it outdated? Nope, they were just getting new stuff. It leaves me scratching my head.
But anyway, that’s good on the Northview students for being responsible.
Start out as a dead beat in school and end up as a dead beat in life! Be responsible people! It’s everyones job, from the top to the bottom. School administration all the way down to the student. I’m not picking on teachers, hell I wouldn’t baby sit these kids for any pay and that is what’s going on the majority of the time. Keeping up with inventory, breaking up fights keeps them busy.
The northend has so many sudents that do virtual school – it’s great NO Textbooks. All our material is online and we master a subject completely before moving on………….. How much money does the county save on us???? Our parents pay all of our expenses plus pay for kids in public school.
The two sets of books for EWMS students is perhaps the best idea anyone ever came up with. The purpose is many, but two definitive resaons; 1) to ensure each student has a copy of thier books at home so there is absolutley no excuses for not completing homework assignments and for that child to review areas of concern with thier parents or family during the evening. 2) to eliminate the aprox 50+ lbs of carrying those books throughout the day enabling your child to a better performance and better health. Look at some of these other schools, and watch how the youth struggle under the burden of those overloaded/overworked back packs. That is not good for any child’s health or well being. Great work x Ms Perry in getting these goals achieved! A proud EWMS parent. ….S.L.B., yet another reason to rid our schools of those illegally attending from across the state line. I’ll leave it at that everyone, I fought my fight at the beginning of the school year with Malcom Thomas, who provided absolutley no help or answers and he has no intentions of addressing that issue as he ducks, runs and hides.
If students don’t return the books, charge them with theft of property. Isn’t that what happens when somebody deprives others from what they own?
Mary – I was wondering if the other schools do this as well. My son is also a student at EWMS. He does use his, but there are certain books he uses frequently and others he doesn’t use at all. The intent behind it is good…the students can’t say they couldn’t do their homework becuase they didn’t have the book. I wondered how much extra this cost this school though. We have never gotten the luxury of having two sets of books prior to being at Ernest Ward.
I think the rest of the school system needs to employ the system that Northview has. The Northview School has the respect of the students and they give respect to the students. As for transfers out of state the school district needs to stop releasing student transcripts till fines are paid.
Very good point made by “DID THE MATH” and not to mention what Mrs.Weaver stated, that Northview also has the hardship of dealing with the Alabama students taking their books home, which is over the state line, and not bringing them back if they move away, making it difficult and/or impossible to retrieve.
The other High Schools in Florida do not have that issue to deal with on that level as Northview!
Know you neighbor: “As per number of students as Escambia or Tate I bet Northview would have the same amounts of loss.”
I thought the same thing… until i did the math. Tate with a school population of approximately 2000, and a unpaid fines of $109004 owes about $55 per student. Northview on the other had has a population of about 570, and fines of only $10242, only owes about $18 per student. Correct me if i am wrong on the student populations, but regardless, tate would need a lot more students and northview a lot fewer to have near equal dollars owed per student.
To Neighbor, at least NHS is trying. I know how hard they work at keeping this down. Maybe someone should hold the parents responsible, but people like you had rather blame the school and district.
How can you not turn in your books on the last few days of school. Did the students not have them during class. Not only would they not walk the stage at graduation, I would include playing sports, band, and prom too. Mrs. Baggett proclaims good job on holding down cost below $100,000. A good job would be a $0 loss. As per number of students as Escambia or Tate I bet Northview would have the same amounts of loss.
How about also looking at the prices school systems PAY for these textbooks? I’d bet my bottom dollar that the publishers are making millions off taxpayers when the cost to print these books is relatively low.
This does not surprise me at all about Northview! Good job to everyone involved. Northview is one of the most organized and efficiently run schools around!
Good for you, Mr Bergosh for attempting to remedy this problem. I commend Ms Weaver for a job well done. The loss of such an amount of money is a disgrace. What a disgusting waste! A poor example for our young people, for sure. Those students who are responsible for this should be held accountable. Those who allowed it to happen should be repremanded.
I know when I went to school, in Indiana, parents had to pay book rental fees every year. The way they figured it was: cost of the books divided by the years the books are going to be used = rental fees. Then they have the money to buy new books when needed and then they also sell the used books. Why can’t something like that be implemented here?
The school my son goes to..Ernest Ward..sends home a seperate set of books ..in 2 yrs my son has had to use the books 3 times..Quit doing this would help w/the lose of books…