The East Stroudsburg Area School District Finance & Curriculum Committee on May 1 recommended several curricula for approval and approved vendor purchases for instructional materials, including a $19,855.03 purchase for English language development materials and multiple Goodheart-Willcox (GW) publisher quotes for career and technical courses.

The committee recommended approval of course curricula for intermediate math (grades 6–8); English language development (ELD) courses for grades 6–12; family and consumer science (grades 6–12); and business courses (grades 9–12). The committee also recommended purchases tied to those curricula.

Actions recorded in the meeting minutes and announced at the meeting included a recommendation to approve purchase of Vista products for the ELD program, grades 6–12, in the amount of $19,855.03. The committee moved and seconded the recommendation and the chair called for a voice vote; the committee voiced approval on the record.

The committee also advanced recommendations for purchases of GW publisher products for family and consumer science (grade 6–12) with quoted amounts of $21,289.21 for High School North materials and $29,745.53 for High School South materials, and for business program materials (grades 9–12) in the amount of $9,985.02. Committee members moved and seconded each recommendation and recorded the motions as approved by voice vote.

During the discussion, board members and committee participants clarified that some vendor quotes did not match the district’s requested contract durations (the district uses a six-year curriculum cycle but some vendors returned one-year or six-year quotes when a four-year quote was required for specific subjects). A committee presenter said vendors had either supplied incorrect quotes or department chairs had not returned vendor quotes in time; the presenter said corrected quotes would appear in the business agenda next month where applicable. The committee also noted that some books that had been made available for public review were textbooks the district already owned and that additional vendor-supplied books would arrive in later packets.

The committee briefly discussed course offerings: a sewing textbook appeared in high school South quotes but not North because some course sections do not run at North due to enrollment. Board members and staff also discussed exploring a district-wide approach to elementary typing and other technology expectations; staff said an online, self-paced typing program (15 minutes, two to three days per week) appeared research-based but would require a purchase quote to be developed.

Why it matters: The committee’s recommendations authorize purchases and curriculum adoptions that will determine classroom materials for multiple subjects and involve district procurement. Some vendors must reissue corrected quotes to match the district’s cycle and building-specific offerings.

Next steps: The committee forwarded the recommendations to the full Board of Education for final approval. Staff said corrected vendor quotes and any remaining book orders will be included in next month’s business agenda.