At the commencement of each new school year, Hackley students are tasked with purchasing their grossly overpriced textbooks from MBS Direct. These purchases can exceed $500 and can be economic burdens for some students and their families. The Dial Editorial Board believes that the Hackley Upper School ought to create a system in which the school distributes books to its students annually with minimal costs incurred.

Hackley parents have expressed frustration with the high prices of their children’s textbooks. “Hackley is supposed to be a meritocracy where students can achieve and shine based on their abilities. These textbooks place an additional financial burden on an already expensive education,” said a Hackley parent who wished to remain anonymous.

The amount of usage each individual textbook receives further calls into question the amount of money students pay for them. In some cases, courses that require the purchase of certain books only end up being used for a mere week of the entire school year. “I haven’t been required to use my biology textbook this year, which is irritating because the textbook itself cost in excess of $200,” said junior Chad Lasseter.

For Hackley families with multiple children attending the school, purchasing children’s textbooks is a tremendous concern. Junior Bobby Hite, who has a younger sibling at Hackley, remarked, “I alone paid $800 for my textbooks this year. I think that is way too much money, especially for those who have siblings at Hackley like I do. My family pays over $1,600 a year for textbooks, which is ridiculous.”

Feeling the prices of textbooks to be excessively high, many students have begun to buy textbooks from other students at low prices. “I buy my textbooks from older students or others who have already taken the course I currently am studying in. I got a really great deal on a Calculus textbook from my friend Amin; I only paid ten dollars,” said senior William Cotter.

The Dial Editorial Board calls for the establishment of a system where textbooks are passed down from one class to the next. With this program, Hackley would distribute textbooks to its students, and at the conclusion of the academic year, they would return their textbooks back to the school. Students in the succeeding class will be given the same books that the previous class received, and the cycle would continue. The money for Hackley’s purchases of such books will be secured from fundraising similar to the funds raised for the new Johnson Center for Health and Wellness. The books students learn and grow from are some of the school’s greatest assets due to the varying perspectives and experiences they showcase. Those who lose or vandalize their textbooks will be billed for them, providing Hackley with the funds to replace the books for the next academic year.

In support of this plan, sophomore Tatiana Monteleone said, “Books should simply be passed down after each school year. That way, we all don’t need to spend money on new books.” Many students are adamant that a book distribution system ought to be implemented with Hackley responsible for its financing. “I think Hackley should pay for textbooks without increasing our tuition,” said sophomore Max Mallett.

But does Hackley have the ability to provide its students textbooks without an increase in tuition? The Dial Editorial Board proposes that the school charge students textbook rental fees for a given year to help offset the cost of this system. Contributions from Hackley’s generous donors will certainly ease the financial strain, especially in conjunction with the rental fees the school would charge students for their books.

Administrators pointed out that an “in-house” Hackley bookstore, similar to the system that The Dial Editorial Board is proposing be created, has indeed existed at Hackley in the past. Logistical issues pertaining to the inventory of the books, as well as the complex and rather tedious day on which the books were distributed, were problems present in the old system. Concerns with regard to which parents felt used books to be sufficient for their children and those that preferred new copies also underpinned Hackley’s prior bookstore. “We did not know how many parents would be satisfied with a used book. The challenge rested with how many books were going to be needed to be bought each year to match the parents’ purchasing habits,” said Hackley’s Director of Finance, Peter McAndrew. While The Dial does recognize the validity of these issues, a more organized and efficient system can surely be created to prevent such problems from resurfacing.

The financial burden of purchasing new textbooks every year inhibits the learning experience of Hackley students already paying a steep price for their education. Eliminating or decreasing this financial burden is a necessary next step to improve Hackley’s curriculum. While the first step may be to merely shorten the list of required textbooks for next year and remove those that are hardly used, The Dial sees a need to ultimately revamp the system.

Olivia Weinberg