Publisher to Record $4.1 Million Write-Down

National Education Corp.’s Steck-Vaughn Publishing unit will record a second-quarter write-down of $4.1 million resulting from an acquisition, and expects results to be depressed further by delays in the shipment of orders.

The shipping delays, which have been caused by a new computerized warehouse management system, could create a “significant” backlog of $4 million to $6 million, said Roy Mayers, president and chief executive officer of Steck-Vaughn. But the Austin, Texas, publisher of educational materials expects to eliminate the backlog before schools reopen in mid-August, he said.