Board to remove state-identified books and consider policy amendment following State Board guidance

Columbia County School Board members discussed recent state-level actions targeting instructional materials and indicated they will remove titles identified by the State Board of Education rather than run the district's usual challenge process.

A board member summarized that recent letters — including correspondence from the attorney general's office and the State Board of Education around a Hillsborough County case — have led state authorities to identify a list of 57 books that they are asking districts to remove. The board member said the district likely has about four of those titles in its schools and recommended removing any matching items without pursuing the standard local challenge process.

Board members asked staff to provide the specific list of titles so the board can see which books are in district libraries and to post a list on the district website showing what was removed "based on that order," according to the discussion. Several members said they supported aligning district practice with the State Board's directive and asked staff (Megan and Logan were named in the discussion as staff who would share materials and video of the State Board meeting) to prepare a recommended amendment to the district policy on instructional materials that would acknowledge the State Board's authority to deem materials inappropriate.

Board members also emphasized transparency: several asked to be notified when the state or attorney general identifies additional titles so the district can remove or otherwise address them promptly. The board did not vote on a formal policy amendment at the meeting; members directed staff to draft language and provide the list of affected titles for review.