Board reviews reconsideration process for classroom and library materials; committee composition debated
Summary
The board discussed ARs for reconsideration of classroom and library materials, focusing on impartiality, committee membership, and whether the staff member who selected a challenged item should be a non‑voting participant.
The board reviewed administrative regulations for reconsideration of curriculum, classroom and library materials and debated committee composition and impartiality safeguards. The draft ARs set a committee of up to nine members, including district staff, and up to four parent/guardian volunteers randomly selected by the superintendent’s designee. Several trustees raised concerns about impartiality if the staff member who originally selected the material served as a voting member of a reconsideration committee. Board member Nathan said impartiality and due process require removing a decision-maker from the final adjudication. Staff and trustees discussed an approach where the staff person who chose the material still participates as a resource but does not vote: "they may serve on the committee, but not as a voting member," a board member summarized. The group also discussed whether reconsideration proceedings must be public under recent legislation (reference in meeting to SB 1098) and noted that an appeal ultimately can come to the board, which provides a separate public review. The draft process calls for resolving issues at the lowest level (teacher or library manager), with steps to escalate to the principal and then to a district-level reconsideration committee if needed. Why the board is acting: the district is formalizing a consistent, transparent process for resolving complaints about instructional and library materials and ensuring due-process protections. Direction: staff will revise AR language to specify that personnel who made the original selection may serve in an advisory or non-voting capacity on reconsideration committees and to clarify volunteer selection and committee composition; staff also will ensure clear public-meeting guidance for any committee actions as required by law. Ending: Staff agreed to adjust the AR language to ensure impartial committee decision-making and to return with updated text.
