This report is the result of a complaint to PEER that in the state’s 1978 textbook adoption bids were received and accepted by the Textbook Board to purchase textbooks for Mississippi at prices higher than those at which the same books were being sold in Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana.
In the course of its review PEER noted (1) that the executive secretary of the board received free benefits from publishers and others upon attending meetings throughout the country, (2) that the publishers and book manufacturers fund the operations of the Advisory Commission on Textbook Specifications which recommends specifications for textbooks purchased by states, (3) that the executive secretary took action which may have caused the termination of a book representative who complained about the operations of the board, (4) that publishing companies appeared to have an undue influence over the board and its executive secretary, (5) that the board had no controls to assure school districts were not ordering more of a particular type of textbook than needed, and (6) that the board had adopted textbooks at prices higher than the prices of similar textbooks in other states. It was noted that Mississippi had a later bid date when the copies of textbooks were higher in Mississippi than in other states. Recommendations concerning these findings were presented in the report.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.