DRAFT: Material Review and Reconsideration Procedure

The Regional School District 13 Board of Education has established the following procedure for addressing complaints regarding the utilization of library and other educational materials by individuals with a vested interest as well as a process for the District to respond to any such challenges:

Initial discussion:

1. Relevant communications concerning the reconsideration of materials to any staff member, whether received by phone, letter, or in-person conversation shall be reported to the building principal. 

The Library Media Specialist (LMS) and/or building principal shall have a discussion with the individual with a vested interest regarding the nature and circumstances of their objection. In this discussion, the LMS and/or building principal will listen to the individual with vested interest’s concern and convey the following information:

a. How and why library materials are selected (include policy #)

b. Discussion of the benefits of the material in question for the student (if applicable) and a determination if it is an issue with the material being in the collection

2. If needed, the LMS and individual with a vested interest will work on alternative selections for the student and find a mutually beneficial resolution.

If the request for reconsideration results in the individual with a vested interest requesting that the material be formally reconsidered, then the following steps will be taken:

Formal Request for Reconsideration

1. Individuals with a vested interest may initiate the review or reconsideration of any library and other educational materials, display, or student program by submitting a Request for Reconsideration of Library Material form (the “Request Form”) to the principal of the school in which the library and other education materials are being challenged.

Using the Request Form, an individual shall specify which portion or portions of such material the individual objects to and provide an explanation of the reasons for such objection. The individual submitting the Request Form must include the individual’s full legal name, address, and telephone number. Consideration of requests to reconsider and remove material, displays, or student programs shall be limited to the parents/guardians of students currently enrolled in the school.

If the formal request for reconsideration has not been received in writing by the principal within two (2) weeks, the request shall be considered closed. 

2. Upon receipt, the Principal, or the Principal's designee, shall promptly forward the Request Form to the Superintendent of Schools or the Superintendent’s designee for the school district.

3. For each challenged library and other educational material, the Superintendent, or the Superintendent's designee, shall appoint a review committee consisting of:

a. The Superintendent, or the Superintendent's designee;

b. the Principal of the school in which the library and other educational material is being challenged, or the Principal's designee;

c. the Director of curriculum, or a person in an equivalent position;

d. a representative from the local or regional board of education;

e. at least one grade-level-appropriate teacher familiar with the library material provided the teacher selected is not the individual who submitted the Request Form;

f. a parent or guardian of a student age thirteen years or younger enrolled in the school district, provided the parent or guardian selected is not the individual who submitted the Request Form;

g. a parent or guardian of a student aged fourteen years or older enrolled in the school district, provided the parent or guardian selected is not the individual who submitted the Request Form;

h. a certified school librarian employed by such Board or employed by another board of education in the state.

i. In cases where such form is submitted by a student enrolled in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, and when appropriate and at the discretion of the superintendent, a student enrolled in grades nine to twelve, inclusive, may serve on the review committee if such student did not submit the reconsideration form, provided the superintendent consults with the principal of the school involved in such reconsideration request prior to making this determination whether to include such student on the Review Committee.

4. The Review Committee shall evaluate the request for reconsideration form by reading the challenged material in its entirety and evaluating the challenged material against the school district's Collection Development and Maintenance Policy.

5. The review committee shall make a written decision on whether to remove the challenged material not later than sixty school days from the date the Request Form was received by the principal or their designee. The Review Committee will provide a copy of the committee's decision and report to the individual with a vested interest who submitted the form and to the principal of the school.

6. The individual with a vested interest who submitted the Request Form may appeal to the Review Committee's decision to the local or regional board of education for the school district. The Board shall determine whether the reconsideration process was followed and publish the decision on the school district's website.