Parents urge Beaufort County board not to reopen previously reviewed books; cite state regulation

During the public-comment period Aug. 5, two speakers urged the Beaufort County Board of Education not to reopen instructional-material reviews that had been completed in 2023 and asked the district to resist a state rule they said enables statewide removals.

Betsy Hinderliter, who identified herself as a parent and a member of a 2023 district book-review committee, said reopening decisions would waste volunteer hours, undermine local procedures, and invite repeated challenges. She said the parent who resubmitted titles currently has no child enrolled in the district and argued that standing under district regulation 43-1-70 requires a petitioner to have a child enrolled in the district.

Mary Foster, an educator and founder of Riverview Charter School, described attending local and State Board of Education meetings after the 2022 challenges. She criticized State Board regulation 43-1-70, saying it permits removal of titles statewide and noted that, since the regulation took effect, 21 titles from earlier complainants’ lists have been removed across South Carolina. She urged the district to use its experience to encourage the State Board to reconsider both the regulation and its review process.

Both speakers emphasized local review processes, the time and expense of repeated reviews, and the principle of local control over school instructional materials. The board did not respond during public comment, consistent with the board’s public-comment rules.

Next steps: The public comments were entered into the record; any formal petitions or requests for review would follow the district’s challenge procedures and the regulatory steps cited by the speakers.