The Portage High School bookstore is changing from what years past have previously known it to be.
The bookstore has always been a place where faculty and students buy supplies and submit orders for classroom needs. If a teacher needed something for their classes, they went through the bookstore to purchase it. A big change this year, however, has been that students and staff can no longer purchase school supplies at the bookstore.
Some faculty were surprised at the beginning of the school year to see the changes at the bookstore, which has been a resource in the past for students who may not have access to everyday supplies.
“I believe the bookstore is no longer actually selling everyday school supplies. I think kids utilized that service and it’s a shame to see it go,” said Ms. Heidi Thibideau, the English department chair who has been at PHS for 17 years.
Although some teachers have whispered about their differing opinions on the recent changes, some were unaware of the new changes.
Mr. Joshua Cavan has been working at PHS for roughly 23 years. When he was asked if he knew about the change in the bookstore this year, he was caught off guard.
“They don’t sell you guys stuff? The photography classes used to be able to buy their film down there. You can’t do that anymore?” he said. “Oh. Well I’m disappointed in that, then.”
Mr. Jeff King, PHS assistant principal, has been working at PHS for four years now. His main goal for PHS is to focus on teaching, learning, and encourage everyone to make learning fun. When asked about the changes to the bookstore from previous years, King was not sure. He said that he was not involved in the “transition year” plan the bookstore has in place.
Mrs. Donna Seeley, the PHS Treasurer who has spearheaded the changes to the bookstore, has worked for Portage Township Schools for the past 11 years. This is her first year at PHS. Seeley took over a previous two-person job this school year.
She went into further explanation about King’s comment that it is a “transition year.” She felt that the bookstore was not overall efficient and the removal of selling school supplies was mostly because not enough students were buying anything. Instead, now when the staff needs something in bulk, they can make the order through the bookstore, removing the need for reimbursements.
Seeley wants students and staff to know that the changes are overall making the bookstore more efficient. Instead of relying on one person to handle thousands of receipts for gym uniforms, students can visit Blythe’s on Calumet Avenue in Valparaiso. Instead of each individual student asking for a poster board, she can place an order for the whole class.
Though these changes might be inconvenient for now, it’s all a part of something bigger for PHS’s future.
