Textbooks weigh heavily on the wallet as much as the backpack, but they will soon become harder for K-12 schools to avoid. A newly signed law, House Bill 2777 , requires Virginia schools to base their curriculum around state-approved textbook materials. If all goes as planned, this law will bring about consistent class pacing and make lessons easier to follow. However, it presents a fuzzy financial issue for school districts: the price tag that must be addressed soon. The law will take effect July 2026, leaving only a year for school boards to generate the necessary funds.

This urgent issue holds personal relevance for me. In my high school, we learned from outdated textbooks. My classmates and I often did not have matching editions, and material could be missing entirely. If our textbooks had been standardized, everyone in my courses would have been equally prepared. This is why I believe the law is important; it has great ideas, but it does not have a plan for funding. The issue is pushed onto local school boards without a clear directive.

House Bill 2291 was first proposed in January, but it evolved into HB2777. This law requires local school boards to form individual contracts with publishing companies to secure state-approved textbooks and other high-quality instructional materials. These materials should then be distributed to students and teachers at no cost. If consumable materials such as workbooks are needed, they may be sold to individual students by the school. The law also outlines how many staff to employ for teaching, administration and intervention, all in proportion to student class size. There is one glaring issue with the law: funding. There is not a specific fund to pay for new materials, nor are there directions to applying for federal aid. At most, it is implied that money may be reallocated from other programs.

This law is not unique in concept. Mississippi, Texas, California and other states have implemented similar laws with great success. Mississippi has been particularly effective; the state pays to train and salary literacy coaches and provides funds to pay for approved textbook materials. K-3 student reading scores have improved since the law was implemented. Texas has achieved comparable success with its per-student formula, the Instructional Materials Allotment, which distributes money from a public state-managed endowment dedicated to public education in Texas called the Permanent School Fund. Like Mississippi, Texas’ efforts are targeted at improving literacy rates, specifically among English learners and students with learning disabilities. I believe that Virginia should combine these ideas into a formula-based funding plan that targets areas of academic intervention and covers all subjects.

Teachers: The only drawback to textbooks is the cost. If you believe these materials are worth it, urge your local school board to address the issue in this way. School boards need to adopt a resolution calling the General Assembly and the Department of Education to create a weighted funding formula that accommodates student needs. When particular districts are not meeting standards, they should receive more resources, including textbooks and teaching aides. Districts with consistent success deserve steady funding in order to preserve those achievements. If multiple school boards pass these resolutions as a collective force, then this will present a united appeal to state policymakers they cannot ignore. By taking local action, we can push for a funding formula that supports every student in every school.

Providing textbooks at no cost to students or teachers will help standardize curriculum and support Standards of Learning achievement. Standardized textbooks promote educational equity by guaranteeing every student has the resources they need to succeed. This law is a powerful move towards leveling the educational playing field. Policymakers and citizens alike consider America a country of equal opportunity, and the proper implementation of this law can help make that dream a reality.