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Book battle continues in Manatee County
Kimberly Kuizon reports
BRADENTON, Fla. - The Manatee County School District is reviewing 30 books that have been removed from school libraries after they were submitted by three community members.
"There was some confusion because there are many books in a teacher’s classroom library that are approved that have already been vetted, they shouldn’t be removed or abandoned because they were bought by district funds. It’s what they brought in that is their own personal possession. That is the only thing in question," said Superintendent Cynthia Saunders.
Media specialists are working to review challenged materials with principals.
Volunteers are being asked to help educators go through their classroom libraries and determine if books are okay or not under House Bill 1467.
"I don’t think we would have gotten here, had every book that’s on the shelf gone through a proper vetting process," said board member Cynthia Spray.
Books in a library at a Manatee County school.
As of now, if a book cannot be agreed upon, it will come to the school board for determination.
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The school district said there was confusion earlier this week, which led teachers to cover up their entire classroom libraries.
Books are being vetted by volunteers and educators to see if they are in line with House Bill 1467.
The board said many of the books in those classrooms had already been vetted.
It’s the materials that have come in through donations and books they inherited from past educators, that they need to make sure are on the approved list.
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"I think we are creating a mountain out of a molehill because we looked at the numbers there’s less than 1% of books that are inappropriate that we have deemed inappropriate that we have even reviewed," stated school board chairman Chad Choate.
The Manatee County School Board is expected to vote on the vetting procedure by mid-February.
Choate went on to say he doesn’t think it’s a problem in Manatee County classroom libraries, but he believes there are probably a few books that could have slipped through.
He believes House Bill 1467 is working to protect students in Manatee County.
Teachers covered books in their classroom following confusion over what books were permitted.
"I don’t think this is some district-wide problem and we are full of all these books and materials that are absolutely absurd. That doesn’t mean, we shouldn’t take out the ones that are bad. I’m not saying that," he said.
The Manatee County School Board is expected to vote on the vetting procedure by mid-February.