HUSD News Stories

As students return to classrooms this school year, K-5 students will be greeted with a brand-new English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum designed to support reading, writing and literacy instruction. The new curriculum was approved last year after the district’s existing resource was discontinued from the state’s approved requirements.  

Before new books could fill classroom shelves, the previous curriculum had to be moved out of the way. Thanks to a partnership with Walker Bookstore, those materials will take on a second life.  

The process began shortly after the school year ended, when HUSD's Warehouse team and media specialists coordinated the collection of thousands of curriculum materials from elementary schools across the district. 

"Since materials are still being used to teach and collection needs to be completed before everyone leaves for the summer, we have a very small window in which to work," said Heather Brush, warehouse manager for instructional materials. 

Media specialists at each campus carefully managed the collection process, ensuring only the retired curriculum was packed for pickup while preparing schools for summer. 

"The media specialists oversee the disposal of the thousands of books, making sure that only the correct items are placed within the bins," Brush said. 

Once collected, the materials were transported to the HUSD warehouse before making their way to Walker Bookstore, a local company that has partnered with the district since 2012. Walker specializes in buying, selling, donating and recycling educational materials, helping extend the life of books whenever possible. All shipments are carefully inspected to identify materials that can be resold or donated to other schools. 

"All other materials are shredded by a specialty recycler to ensure all recyclable materials stay out of the landfill," said Chris Emanuel, purchasing account executive at Walker Bookstore. "Hardcover books require specialty machinery to shred, and your regular local recycling company cannot process this material." 

Walker Bookstore processes thousands of pallets of educational materials for recycling each year, helping reduce landfill waste while giving usable books a second life in classrooms across the country. 

As students open their new ELA curriculum, they can do so knowing the books that came before them are continuing to make a difference. Through partnerships like the one with Walker Bookstore, Higley Unified demonstrates its commitment to giving back and making the most of every resource.