Florida Sues Two of the Largest Textbook Publishers
Florida is taking on two of the largest textbook publishers in the country, accusing them of systematically overcharging school districts and violating state law. Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the lawsuit on August 19, 2025, during a press conference in St. Cloud. The state alleges that McGraw-Hill and Savvas Learning Company engaged in more than 5,900 instances of illegal overcharges, ignoring laws that require publishers to offer Florida schools the lowest price available nationwide and extend any discounts provided elsewhere. In one case, Osceola County Schools were billed over $279,000 more than the proper price. Another example highlighted a textbook that was sold at a discount to Miami-Dade but charged at higher rates to nine other school districts, creating more than $250,000 in excess costs.
Uthmeier framed the case as a clear-cut abuse of taxpayer dollars, saying, “Our lawsuit exposes a textbook case of corporate greed—companies charging Florida schools more than the law allows, pocketing the difference, and sticking taxpayers with the bill.” DeSantis backed the lawsuit as part of his broader education agenda, arguing that resources should go directly to classrooms. “Textbook publishers that exploit Florida school districts must be held accountable. Those resources should be going to school districts, to the teachers, in ways that are productive,” he said. Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas added that Florida is also moving toward developing its own in-house English language arts curriculum to cut costs and reduce dependence on major publishers.
The complaint, filed in the Second Judicial Circuit Court in Tallahassee under the Florida False Claims Act, seeks treble damages and civil penalties. If successful, the penalties could cost McGraw-Hill and Savvas between $37.5 million and $60.5 million. Both companies strongly deny the accusations. McGraw-Hill spokesperson Tyler Reed said the claims “lack factual and legal merit on multiple grounds” and vowed to fight the lawsuit. Savvas Learning issued a similar rebuttal, stating, “We have always been, and continue to be, committed to complying with all laws and regulations… We never charged Florida school districts more than the state contract price.”
The lawsuit arrives as Florida intensifies its battles over education policy, both in terms of costs and content. DeSantis confirmed the state will appeal a recent federal ruling that struck down parts of a law restricting school library books. At the same time, state officials are pushing for curriculum built “in Florida, for Florida’s students,” with the goal of reducing prices and controlling content. For now, the legal fight with McGraw-Hill and Savvas underscores a larger struggle between public schools fighting for every tax dollar and publishing giants accused of putting profit above the classroom.
