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Textbook Publishers rip off Florida Schools for almost $4.5 million last year

As a long-time Florida resident, I’m concerned about whistleblower information filed earlier this month with the Florida Attorney General that alleges textbook publishers McGraw Hill and Savvas have overcharged Florida School districts more than $4.48 million for K-5 ELA textbooks during 2020-2021. The practice appears to be widespread and ongoing and impacts school districts across the state.

Textbook publishers agree to provide the “Best Price” for all textbooks sold in Florida and that is not happening:
“As Florida Statute 1006.38 says, publishers must “(f)urnish the instructional materials offered by them at a price in the state which, including all costs of electronic transmission, may not exceed the lowest price at which they offer such instructional materials for adoption or sale to any state or school district in the United States. These variations in pricing seem to violate that statutory mandate. The Publishers affirmative pledges to follow the pricing statutes lead to the conclusion that false claims for payment were made against the State.”

At a time when school districts across Florida are struggling to fund the basic education needs of their students, teacher salaries and more, textbook publishers are lining their pockets and violating state law. This practice has been ongoing since 2003 as outlined in Oppage Report No: 03-28 (Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability ).

Here’s a list including the 13 of 16 Florida school districts included in the whistleblower information:

McGraw Hill overcharges:

· Miami-Dade County: ELA adoption last year in Kindergarten and 1st grade, Miami-Dade County was overcharged $1,245,888.88.

· Lee County: ELA adoption last year in K-5, Lee County was overcharged by $842,703.28.

· Hillsborough County: ELA adoption last year in Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade, Hillsborough County was overcharged $782,253.18.

· Polk: ELA adoption last year in K-5, Polk County was overcharged $731,568.74.

· Hamilton County: ELA adoption last year K-5, Hamilton County was overcharged $19,383.55.

· Madison County: ELA adoption last year in just 1st grade, Madison County was overcharged $17,496.00.

· Franklin County: ELA adoption last year in K-5, Franklin County was overcharged $10,233.04.


Savvas overcharges:

· Alachua County: ELA adoption last year K-5, Alachua County was overcharged more than $128,878.

· Citrus County: ELA adoption last year K-5, Citrus County was overcharged more than $135,459.

· Franklin County: ELA adoption last year K-5 , Franklin County was overcharged more than $996.

· Okaloosa County: ELA adoption last year K-5, Okaloosa County was overcharged more than $176,917.

· St. Lucie County: ELA adoption last year K-5, St. Lucie County was overcharged by more than $164,125.

· Sarasota County: ELA adoption last year K-5, Sarasota County was overcharged by more than $92,676.

I have provided this information to School Boards in all the counties impacted and I’m hopeful they will address this issue and demand that the textbook publishers reimburse the system for the overcharges. The districts may also be eligible for “treble damages” for the overcharges. That’s money school systems throughout the state could use to augment struggling budgets and teacher salaries. They should also cease doing business with publishers who have failed to follow Florida’s guidelines for textbook purchases.

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