As the new school year rolls on, many students are left missing one remnant of the 2012-2013 school year: yearbooks, which would typically have been released in June or August.

However, administrators do not want students to fret. According to Principal Ed Klein, the final copy of the yearbook has been sent to the printer, though at publication, an estimated delivery date has not been set.

While some may be quick to criticize the delay, Klein offered an explanation: “We just want to make sure we turn out the best possible yearbook,” he said.

Klein made an administrative decision to temporarily delay yearbook production, hoping to come out with a better product as a result.

“We wanted to make some corrections when we saw that last draft,” he said.

Klein added that it is not easy to make corrections to a yearbook later on, so it is important to fix any issues before finalizing the book.

“You want to do everything you can to get it right the first time,” he said. “There is only one first time with a yearbook.”

Klein explained that most of the issues were related to factual inaccuracies, though some were stylistic changes, adding that the goal was for the yearbook to “stand the test of time.”

Senior Soliana Goldrich, editor-in-chief of this year’s yearbook and a staff member last year, said she found many of the corrections to be minor, and largely due to last year’s short-staffed yearbook crew.

“It took a long time for the people who were actually working on [the yearbook],” Goldrich said, explaining that only a handful of students were contributing full-time to complete the book.

Goldrich said she believed the errors the administration pointed out would not have hindered students from enjoying the book.

“With any publication… you’re going to find problems, you’re going to find typos in it, perhaps. I mean, little things that… you might notice, but it’s not going to deter you from [enjoying it],” she said.

Klein also sought to strike down any speculation that inappropriate content had been snuck into the final copy, commending last year’s yearbook advisers Kevin Houchins and Erin Acklin for preventing such an issue.

“There was nothing inappropriate in there,” he said.

Houchins took a balanced view on the publication delay.

“There were a lot of different reasons,” Houchins said.  “Some of them were unfortunate situations and other things [were] great situations.”

Houchins explained some of the issues that delayed the yearbook. First, a couple of months after last school year started, the previous adviser had to step down due to a building reassignment, requiring Houchins to step in after work had already started. Second, two lead editors resigned from their positions due to other commitments.

Houchins views the success of BHS athletic teams as a more positive reason for the delay.

“Last year was a historical year here at Beachwood that saw us reach heights in things where we had never made it before,” he said, explaining that more time was needed to prepare some of the athletic sections of the book.

Building substitute Alise Stawicki will serve as yearbook adviser this year, as Houchins stepped down from the adviser position to spend more time with his family. He maintains his position as a technology teacher.

While Klein admitted some parents have called inquiring when the yearbooks will be distributed, he said that upon learning the reason for the delay, they were very understanding. Klein added that yearbooks will be mailed home to class of 2013 graduates.

Aaron Paley, a class of 2013 graduate, said that while he is disappointed, he understands the reasoning, and just wished the administration would have explained the issue to the students.

“It doesn’t have much meaning anymore,” Paley said, explaining that, months after graduation and several weeks into his freshman year of college, he feels removed from high school.