(Daily Advertiser)- The Lafayette Parish School System expects to spend nearly $4 million for next year’s textbooks and workbooks for science, math and English, and most elementary students will see a different, more highly rated English curriculum.

Funds were “released,” or made available, early by a vote of the Lafayette Parish School Board Wednesday to make the purchase in time for a new school year. 

This will give the vendor time to receive, process and ship the orders, according to the school board agenda. 

The $3,989,363.26 will come from the district’s general fund and cover replacement textbooks, consumables and a new curriculum to be implemented at many elementary schools across the district.

Irma Trosclair, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, said this will allow the district to implement a Tier 1-rated English language arts curriculum in all K-5 schools across the district.

Currently elementary schools labeled “urgent intervention required,” or UIR, use this curriculum, and others in the district use one rated by the state as Tier 3. The UIR label is for schools with a subgroup score equal to an F for two consecutive years.

Most schools currently use Journeys for kindergarten through fifth grades English language arts, rated Tier 3 or “not representing quality” by the state Department of Education. But UIR schools started this year with Core Knowledge Language Arts for kindergarten through second grade and Guidebooks for grades third through fifth.

Due to when state funds were made available last year, those schools received materials and training right as the school year was starting, putting teachers and administrators at a disadvantage in implementing it, Trosclair said.

“Our plan now is to get manuals in teachers’ hands in June and do some (professional development) ahead of school starting,” Trosclair said.

Most of the estimated cost — more than $3.1 million — is for the English materials. The rest will go toward math and science curricula.

Textbooks numbers are ordered based on projected enrollment, according to the district. Schools submit replacement textbook orders for lost, stolen or damaged textbooks and for increased enrollment.

Consumables include workbooks, activity books and like, which are replaced every year. 

The purchase is pending a request for proposals process. A recommendation will be made at the April board meeting.