Granite Falls schools ask for help to buy textbooks

Published 10:16 pm Sunday, February 28, 2010

GRANITE FALLS — It’s a textbook case of need.

And it makes for a vexing story problem.

A small school district needs 1,450 new math books for its students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Books cost an average of $77. The district, which has 18 fewer teachers this year because of budget cuts, has no money to buy books. How does it pay for them?

The answer in the cash-strapped Granite Falls School District is an adopt-a-math-book program.

The district of 2,266 students is seeking grass-roots contributions instead of tax dollars. Buy a book and it will acknowledge the contribution inside the front cover.

It also is encouraging people to donate a book in the memory of or as a tribute to a family member, friend or colleague. Their names, too, will be placed inside the front cover.

It’s a sign of the times in a district that cut $1.2 million this year and expects to trim another $800,000 next year but doesn’t want to fall behind school systems with richer tax bases.

“We have to quit waiting for our ship to come in,” said Karen Koshak, the district’s superintendent. “We have to build a bridge.”

Koshak said she weighed the potential embarrassment of asking for help against the need to replace inadequate textbooks. Need trumped public perception.

Koshak watched better-funded school districts buy new math books that have been recommended by the state to meet academic standards. She figured Granite Falls can’t wait. The new books take a more traditional approach to mathematics than the current ones.

“It’s not equitable for our kids to be behind others,” she said. “Instead of wringing our hands, we said, ‘What can we do?’ ”

The district has collected $10,668 toward its goal of $100,000. Half of that came from its education foundation. The local Lions Club with about a dozen regularly attending members contributed another $2,000. A member of the high school’s alumni association plans to write a letter seeking donations from fellow graduates.

“We are going to try to build this book by book,” said Kathy Grant, a school district spokeswoman.

The school district also is applying for several grants.

Wendy Beach, president of the Friends of the Granite Falls Library, said she expected her tiny group with six regular attending members to donate enough money for one math book. Instead, the group pledged $500, or about six books.

“There was a resounding interest,” said Beach, who has a second- and fourth-grader attending Granite Falls schools.

The contribution made sense to the group, which makes money for the library through books that are donated.

“To us, it just seemed like a perfect fit,” she said.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.