OBJECTION TO INSTRUCTIONAL AND LIBRARY MATERIALS

Code No. 605.3          

 

Members of the school district community may object to the instructional and library materials utilized in the school district and ask for their use to be reconsidered.

It is the responsibility of the superintendent, in conjunction with the principals, to develop administrative regulations for reconsideration of instructional materials. Information related to the process for reconsideration of instructional and library materials will be made available on the district’s website.

Parents or guardians of students enrolled in the district have the ability to request that their student not be able to access certain instructional materials or check out certain library materials. For purposes of prohibiting access to instructional materials, Iowa law has defined instructional materials to mean either printed or electronic textbooks and related core materials that are written and published primarily for use in elementary school and secondary school instruction and are required by a state educational agency or district for use by students in the student’s classes by the teacher of record.  Instructional materials does not include lesson plans. 

 

Legal Reference: Iowa Code §§ 279.8, .74, .77; 280.3, .14; 301.

281 I.A.C. 12.3(12).

 

Cross Reference: 213 Public Participation in Board Meetings

213.1 Public Complaints About Employees

602 Curriculum Development

605 Instructional Materials

 

Approved: 11/21/22

Reviewed: 08/15/2023

Revised: 08/15/2023

Code No. 605.3-E1

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE

The policy of this school district related to selection of learning materials states that any resident of the district may formally challenge instructional and library materials used in the district’s educational program.  This policy allows those persons in the school and the community who are not directly involved in the selection of materials to make their opinions known.  The task of the Reconsideration Committee is to an informed decision on the challenge. The meetings of the committee may be subject to the open meetings law.

The most critical component of the reconsideration process is the establishment and maintenance of the committee's credibility in the community.  For this purpose, the committee is composed of a combination of community members and licensed employees as detailed in 605.3R1.  The community should not, therefore, infer that the committee is biased or is obligated to uphold prior professional decisions. 

The presence on the Committee of a school media specialist and an administrative staff member will assure continuity from year to year as well as lend professional knowledge of the selection process.  Student members are essential since they are the closest to the student body and will be immediately affected by the decision of the committee.

The reconsideration process, the task of this committee, is just one part of the selection continuum.  Material is purchased to meet a need.  It is reviewed and examined, if possible, prior to purchase; it is periodically reevaluated through updating, discarding, or reexamination.  The Committee must be ready to acknowledge that an error in selection may have been made despite this process.  Librarians and school personnel regularly read great numbers of reviews in the selection process, and occasional errors are possible.

In reconsidering challenged materials, the role of the committee, and particularly the chairperson, is to produce a climate for meaningful discussion of disparate views.  The committee should begin by finding items of agreement, keeping in mind that the larger the group participating, the greater the amount of information available and, therefore, the greater the number of possible approaches to the problem.

The committee may, at its discretion, hear an oral presentation from the complainant to the committee to expand and elaborate on the complaint.  The committee may listen to the complainant, to those with special knowledge, and any other interested persons.  In these discussions, the committee should be aware of relevant social pressures which are affecting the situation.  Individuals who may try to dominate or impose a decision must not be allowed to do so.  Minority viewpoints expressed by groups or individuals must be heard, and observers must be made to feel welcome.  It is important that the committee create a calm, nonvolatile environment in which to deal with a potentially volatile situation.  To this end, the complainant will be kept informed of the progress of the complaint.

The Committee will listen to the view of all interested persons before reaching a decision.  In deliberating its decision, the Committee should remember that the school system must be responsive to the needs, tastes, and opinions of the community it serves.  Therefore, the Committee  must distinguish between broad community sentiment and attempts to impose personal standards.  The deliberations should concentrate on the appropriateness of the material.  The question to be answered by the Committee is, “Is the material appropriate for its designated audience at this time?”

The Committees final recommendation will be (1) to remove the challenged material from the total school environment,  (2) to take no removal action, or  (3) to agree on a limitation of the educational use of the materials. 

The Committee chairperson will instruct the secretary to convey the Committee’s recommendation to the office of the Superintendent.  The recommendation should detail the rationale on which it was based.  A letter will be sent to the complainant outlining the Committee’s final decision.

Adopted:          03/03/1986

Reviewed:        11/21/2022

Revised:           11/21/2022

CODE NO. 605.3-E2

 

RECONSIDERATIOIN OF INSTRUCTIONAL AND LIBRARY MATERIAL REQUEST FORM

Request for re-evaluation of printed or multimedia material to be submitted to the superintendent.

REVIEW INITIATED BY:

DATE:

Name

Address

City/State

Zip Code

Telephone

School(s) in which item is used

Relationship to school (parent, student, citizen, etc.)

BOOK OR OTHER PRINTED MATERIAL IF APPLICABLE:

Author

Hardcover

Paperback

Other

Title

Publisher (if known)

Date of Publication

MULTIMEDIA MATERIAL IF APPLICABLE:

Title

Producer (if known)

Type of material (website, online resource, filmstrip, motion picture, etc.)

PERSON MAKING THE REQUEST REPRESENTS: (circle one)

Self

Group or Organization

Name of group

Address of Group

8.	Do you wish to make an oral presentation to the Review Committee?
		Yes	(a) Please contact the Superintendent
			Please be prepared at this time to indicate the approximate length of time your presentation will require.  Although this is no guarantee that you'll be allowed to present to the committee, or that you will get your requested amount of time.
							Minutes.
		No
	Dated					Signature

Adopted:               03/03/1986

Reviewed:             11/21/2022

Revised:                11/21/2022

Code No.  605.3E4

REQUEST TO PROHIBIT A STUDENT FROM CHECKING OUT

SPECIFIC LIBRARY MATERIALS

Request to prohibit a student from checking out certain library materials to be submitted to the superintendent.  Please complete one form per student.

 

REQUEST INITIATED BY                                                                            DATE ___________

 

Name  ____________________________________________________________________________

 

Address  __________________________________________________________________________

 

City/State  _________________________ Zip Code__________________ Telephone_____________

 

Name of affected Student  _____________________________________________________________

 

Requester’s Relationship to Student (must be parent/legal guardian)____________________________

 

BOOK OR OTHER PRINTED MATERIAL TO PROHIBIT STUDENT FROM CHECKING OUT:

Author

Hardcover

Paperback

Other

Title

Publisher (if known)

Date of Publication

MULTIMEDIA MATERIAL TO PROHIBIT STUDENT FROM CHECKING OUT:

Title

Producer (if known)

Type of material (filmstrip, motion picture, etc.)

Dated

Signature

 

 

 

 

 

Approved: 11/21/2022

Reviewed:

Revised:

Code No. 605.3R1

RECONSIDERATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL AND LIBRARY MATERIALS REGULATION

A.        Any resident of the school district may raise objection to instructional materials used in the district’s educational program despite the fact that the individuals selecting such materials were duly qualified to make the selection and followed the proper procedure     and observed the criteria for selecting such material.

1.         The school official or staff member receiving a complaint regarding instructional materials shall try to resolve the issue informally.  The materials shall remain in use unless removed through the procedure in section B.6.d of this rule.

a.         The school official or staff member initially receiving a complaint shall explain to the complainant, the school’s selection procedure, criteria, and qualifications of those person selecting the materials.

b.         The school official or staff member initially receiving a complaint shall explain to the best of his/her ability the particular place the objected material occupies in the educational program, its intended educational usefulness, and additional information regarding its use, or refer the complaining party to someone who can identify and explain the use of the material.

2.         In the event that the person making an objection to material is not satisfied with the initial explanation, the person raising the question should be referred to someone designated by the principal or person in charge of the attendance center to handle such complaints or to the media specialists for that attendance center.  If, after private counseling, the complainant desires to file a formal complaint, the person to whom the complainant has been referred will assist in filling out a Reconsideration Request Form in full.

3.         The individual receiving the initial complaint shall advise the principal or person in charge of the attendance center where the challenged material is being used, of the initial contact not later than the end of the following school day, whether or not the complainant has apparently been satisfied by the initial contact.  A written record of the contact shall be maintained by the principal or other person in charge of the attendance center.

B.         Request for Reconsideration

1.         Any request or employee of the school district may formally challenge instructional materials used in the district’s educational program on the basis of appropriateness.  This procedure is for the purpose of considering the opinions of those persons in the schools and the community who are not directly involved in the selection process.

2.         Each attendance center and the school district’s central office will keep on hand and make available Reconsideration Request Forms (1FAB-E).  All formal objections to instructional materials must be made on this form.

3.         The Reconsideration Request Form shall be signed by the complainant and filed with the Superintendent or someone so designated by the Superintendent.

4.         Within five business days of the filing of the form, the Superintendent or persons so designated by the Superintendent, shall file the material in question with the Reconsideration Committee for reevaluation.  The Committee shall recommend disposition to the office of the Superintendent.

5.         Generally, access to challenged material shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process.  However, in unusual circumstances, the material may be removed temporarily by following the provisions of Section B.6.d of this rule.

            6.         The Reconsideration Committee

                        a.         The Reconsideration Committee shall be made up of six members

                                    plus the Director of Academic Affairs as an ex officio member.

                                    (1)  Two teachers designated annually by the Superintendent.

                                    (2)  One school media specialist designated annually by the Superintendent.

                                    (3)  One member of the administrative team designated annually by

                                           the Superintendent.

                                    (4)  Five members of the community appointed by Board action.

b.         The chairperson of the Committee shall not be an employee or officer of the District.   The secretary shall be an employee or officer of the District.  Both shall be selected at the first meeting of the Committee each year.

                           c.         The Committee shall meet at the request of the Superintendent.

d.         Special meetings may be called by the Superintendent to consider temporary removal of materials in unusual circumstances.  Temporary removal shall require a three-fourths vote of the Committee.

e.         Notice of meetings shall be made public through appropriate student publications and other communications methods.

f.          The committee shall receive all Reconsideration Request Forms from the Superintendent or person designated by the Superintendent.

g.         The procedure for the first meeting following receipt of a Reconsideration Request Form is as follows:

                                    (1)  Distribute copies of written request form.

(2)  Give complainant or group spokesperson an opportunity to talk about and expand on the request form. 

(3)  Distribute reputable, professionally prepared reviews of the  material when available.

                                    (4)  Distribute copies of challenged material as available.

h.         At a subsequent meeting, interested persons, including the complainant, may have the opportunity to share their views.  The Committee may request that individuals with special knowledge be present to give information to the Committee.

i.          The complainant shall be kept informed by the secretary concerning the status of his/her complaint throughout the Committee process.  The complainant and known interested parties shall be given appropriate notice of such meetings.

 

j.          At the second or a subsequent meeting, as desired, the Committee’s final recommendation will be, (1) to take no removal action, (2) to remove the challenged material from the total school environment, or (3) to limit the educational use of the challenged material.  The sole criteria for the final decision is the appropriateness of the material for its intended educational use.  The written recommendation and its justification shall be forwarded to the Superintendent for appropriate action, the complainant and the appropriate attendance centers.

Following the Superintendent’s decision with respect to the Committee’s recommendation, the complainant or the Chairperson of the Reconsideration Committee may appeal the decision to the Board of Directors for review.  Such appeal must be presented to the Superintendent, in writing, within five days following the announcement of the Superintendent’s decision.  The appeal will be heard by the Board of Directors within one month following the filing of the appeal.  Following the appeal hearing the Board will decide whether to sustain the Superintendent’s decision or the challenge.

k.         A recommendation to sustain a challenge shall not be interpreted as a judgment of irresponsibility on the part of the professionals involved in the original selection or use of the material.

l.          Requests to reconsider materials which have previously been before the Committee must receive approval of a majority of the Committee members before the materials will again be reconsidered.  Every Reconsideration Request Form shall be acted upon by the Committee.

m.        In the event of a severe overload of challenges, the Committee may appoint a subcommittee of members or non-members to consolidate challenges and to make recommendations to the full committee.  The composition of this subcommittee shall approximate the representation on the full Committee.

n.         Committee members directly associated with the selection, use, or challenger of the challenged material shall be excused from the Committee during the deliberation on such materials.  The Superintendent may appoint a temporary replacement for the excused Committee member, but such replacement shall be of the same general qualifications of that person excused.

o.         Any person dissatisfied with the decision of the Board may appeal to the State Board of Education pursuant to state law.

 

Adopted:          03/03/1989

Reviewed:        12/11/2023

Revised:           12/11/2023