Important news story covered in hyperbole

Its the END of week six of the 2011 - 2012 school year and finally the "local" newspaper is taking a look at the fact that students and teachers in District 150 STILL DON'T HAVE TEXT BOOKS. It's unfortunate that the "news report" makes light of something as important as students not having text books. The "news report" is filled with hyperbole, so I have attempted to glean some facts: 

• It's Week 6, and some students still don't have all of their textbooks.
• In some cases, the books haven't even arrived yet from publishers. When will they get here?
• The books are actually here - at the district warehouse.
• When will the textbooks get to students? 
• "Hopefully, they'll be on the way soon," says district spokesman Chris Coplan.
• Administrators keep filling out requests for books.
• As of this week, students - in history and other disciplines at Peoria High - still don't have books.
• It's the same thing with other kids and courses at other district schools: no books. 
• What's the hold-up? There aren't enough books because there are too many books.
• "We just ordered so many textbooks this summer," says spokesman Coplan.
• The district underwent a wave of curriculum changes after the last academic year.
• The district ordered a half-million dollars worth of new textbooks, a much higher sum than usual.
• Many of those books still haven't arrived.
• In many cases, the books came in plenty of time.
• They're neatly stacked at the district warehouse on Lake Street.
• There are just two employees at the warehouse.
• There are strict rules regarding intaking requests and unpacking supplies and tracking orders and marking books and distributing texts.
• Teachers are trying to make do with alternative teaching methods.
• In some cases, teachers are running off copies of book pages for students.
• In printing off copies, the district is wasting time and money in replacing books that are already here
• "We're working daily to get them out," Coplan says
• The process isn't working right.
• Those still-on-order books someday might get here from publishers.
• When that happens, fear more delays.
• Taxpayers pick up the tab for these materials.
• It's a waste to see these books languish without delivery.
• It's a waste to see students languish without books.

Coming soon to District 150 - copy paper shortage

For weeks now, I have been hearing from students, teachers and parents that there is a text book shortage in District 150. My thinking was that a few students in one or two classes didn't have a book. Au, contraire mon frere! Apparently LOTs of students don't have books.

Why is there such a shortage of text books at District 150? Do we have a lot of new students in the District? Does it have any thing to do with the shifting of 100s of students as a result of school closures? Is it because the District is getting new text books and they are not in yet? Is it because books sent back to the Ricketts Center at the end of last year have to requisitioned, and requsitions are backed up?

Folks have not been given an answer as to why the text books are not in the classrooms. The main stream news media in our town has not questioned why so many students don't have books (the book shortage must not be affecting students North of Forrest Hill). Regardless of what "reason" one may give, it seems to me that proper planning would have allowed text books to be in the classrooms by now.

The last couple of weeks, teachers have spent just trying to keep students engaged, because, of course, the books would be there any day (right?). Wrong. As of last week (the third week of school), some text book copying has started so that teachers can at least begin to teach the children (is that even legal).

Looks like the copy paper shortage will be coming sooner, rather than later this year. Who will pick up the slack when copy paper is needed? Teachers and parents, that's who.