Tattered, torn, water damaged and frayed bar codes are scanned as the old textbooks are checked back into the library after yet another year of continued use. Lewis-Palmer’s current textbooks have been cycled in and out of the backpack of students for nearly a decade now without having been updated or replaced. This year’s freshman even are becoming concerned that our school textbook are outdated, and they’re 100% correct.

Library Educational Media Specialist, Deneé Child explains that there are many outdated textbooks in current use here at the school that don’t measure up to education standards.

“Civics, Health, Biology, Algebra, Introduction to Business, and more. The copyright dates tell when the books were published and there’s a standard of no more than a set number of years that a textbook can be used after this date. Our books are way older. We should be using updated or newer books,” Child said.

So why aren’t the textbooks being updated? Budget cuts and the changing technological age restrict the district’s ability to buy new books for the students and class use. The expectation is that schools will transition into the use of more ebooks in favor of physical copies of textbooks.

“We don’t have the resources due to finances from state budget cuts. Things change so much. The emerging technical age is growing faster than education and ebooks aren’t available in all subjects,” Child said.

These outdated books clearly pose as a problem to students as that they aren’t receiving the most updated information through their reading and book work. Science and Health classes take some of the biggest hits as the subjects develop and grow from year to year, but the textbooks are left in the dust.

Individual classes are taking steps to counteract these effects and acquire current text. AP courses especially are adapting to the changing world of information by having each student personally purchase the books that they need.

“AP classes are slowly weeding out school textbooks. Students are purchasing the most current editions from year to year,” Child said.

Currently Lewis-Palmer is in a sort of textbook limbo with outdated books and no foreseeable replacements in the near future. Steps are being taken to teach current lessons, but expense and technology are really setting blockades for Lewis-Palmer’s coursework.