School district continues to tweak media access policies

By MEGHAN BRADBURY news@breezenewspapers com

The School District of Lee County's new Media Center Access form was further tweaked at the July 31 school board meeting in an effort to get language agreed upon for the start of the new school year

The district came up with two different forms following the prior week's board meeting to provide a different option as a default if parents do not sign the form that tells the district what materials a student may have access to and to which they may not.

The board gave consensus for the second form, which states “My child has full access to check out books from the school media center except for those books that have been restricted based upon the determination of the book challenge process or those that require parent/guardian consent ”

Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier said as soon as a parent clarifies their desire for their child, if different, they can change the option

“The board is acting in a manner and means until we have a parent signature on a document, the board is acting as 'loco parentis' assuming the child is not permitted to check out certain books,” he said

Board Member Cathleen Morgan said with the second option the board is overriding the recommendation of the curriculum advisory committee

“With form B you are telling the student that the district is acting on their behalf and you are again overriding community input after a book has been evaluated,” she said. “I think these forms are not accomplishing really what we want to do of educating the parents ”

In addition, Morgan said the form includes the word “challenged” too much She said she would like to see the form changed to something along the lines of “Your child will have access to media center materials except for those books that have been restricted, or those that require parent, or guardian consent ”

Morgan said the concern is the child who wants access to a book that has been reviewed and found appropriate for his or her age

“Why are we saying we are acting on that child's behalf on accessing that book?” she asked “I don't think that is our responsibility That is not the authority we have been given ”

Morgan said she would start from the point of frequently asked questions about books children are reading First it would include “Can I restrict my child's access to a book or author?” If yes, she said you can put that book in the Destiny system Another question would be “If I read a book in the media center that contains information a parent does not think is suitable for their child, how do they ask the school to remove the book?” The last would highlight information on how the parent can sign a form that now has limited access for their child

The other selections a parent can select on the form is my child is not permitted to check out books from the school media center and my child is not permitted to check out books from the school media center that have been formally challenged, based on potentially objectionable material, using the district's Challenge to Instructional/Media Form regardless of the outcomes.

The form also includes a list of materials that have been challenged and reviewed by the district's Challenge to Instructional/Media Ad Hoc Committee or Directors of Curriculum Instead of a link to a book challenge webpage, the form now includes a link to the school year and the challenged materials and decisions

Chief Academic Officer Dr Jeff Spiro said he was “super excited” to share information they received on July 28 from Destiny. He said emails can be sent to parents whenever a child checks out a book from the media center, so the parent is aware of any book their child is reading

“We need to work with information technology and create a process document There is some work that will have to happen over the next week and a half,” Spiro said.

Bernier said Destiny is a software system that governs the media collection that allows for check out and return of books

House Bill 1069

At the board meeting on July 26, the school board was also led through a lengthy presentation regarding media center and classroom library processes as new HB 1069 was signed

Board Attorney Kathy Dupuy-Bruno said HB 1069 not only includes media library materials, but also includes classroom library material

“The challenge material form, at some point, will be prescribed by the State Board of Education,” she said

The new bill includes material that is pornographic in material or depicts or describes sexual conduct must be removed from the shelf within five school days of receipt of an objection and remain unavailable until the objection is ultimately resolved

“Parents also have the right to read passages that are subject to objection during public comment at school board meetings,” Dupuy-Bruno said “If the school board denies the right to read the passages due to the content, meeting the pornography prong, then the material must be discontinued from use by the school district If the school board finds that any material violates any of the prongs such as it is pornographic, or depicts sexual conduct as defined, is not suited to the student, is inappropriate for the grade level and age group, then the school board has an obligation to remove the material ”

In addition, HB 1069 mandates committee meetings to resolve objections to instruc-

See MEDIA ACCESS POLICIES, page 18