Spearfish School District 40-2
6000 INSTRUCTION

Board Policy                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
Code: 6400

CHALLENGED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

The Spearfish Board of Education recognizes the right of individuals and groups to present legitimate concerns about educational materials in the schools; however, a parent should realize that, while he can limit reading for his own child, he does not have this same right to restrict the free choice of reading by other children. In the interest of handling these complaints objectively and expeditiously, the following procedures will be followed:

1. Any individual or group that questions any educational materials or subject matter shall submit the concern to the teacher or librarian at the school involved.

2. Should the problem not be resolved at the level of occurrence, the building administrator of the school must be contacted.

3. The building administrator and school teacher or librarian will hold a conference with the complainant.

4. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the results of the conference, the building administrator will inform the complainant of the procedures for further consideration of the objection.

5. The building administrator will provide the complainant with a copy of Form 6400FM, Reconsideration of Materials, which the complainant must fill out in its entirety and return to the building administrator if the complainant wishes to pursue the objection further.

6. Upon receipt of the formal written complaint, the superintendent shall arrange for a review committee consisting of an administrator, a school board member, a classroom teacher, a school librarian, a non-school librarian and a lay person.

a. The committee will meet and return a report to the superintendent within three weeks.
b. The superintendent will report the recommendation of the review committee to the school board whose decision on the matter will be final.
c. The committee may recommend the questioned material be retained without restriction, retained with restriction or not retained.

7. Pending committee study and final action of the Board, the material which is subject to the complaint need not be removed.

Approved June 23,1997
Reviewed December 14, 1998
Reviewed  January, 2009