HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — In Horry County, 24 books have been removed from school libraries, and another 14 have been restricted as part of the district’s policy that’s been in effect for a few years now.
Those numbers could increase as a new State Board of Education regulation goes into effect this school year for all South Carolina public schools.
Regulation 43-170 took effect August 1, which states “any instructional material in South Carolina public schools has to be age and developmentally appropriate and aligned with the state’s instructional program.”
A parent or guardian of a child enrolled in the district has the option to file a complaint with the district over books they think should be removed.
The South Carolina Department of Education’s review of the regulation said the regulation is not “book banning” or “censorship” and states students or parents can buy and read any books they choose. Rather, they said the regulation deals with government employees selecting and buying materials with taxpayer money to be utilized in taxpayer-funded buildings.
READ MORE: New policy to remove explicit books from South Carolina schools
To begin the book removal process, a parent or guardian of a student must read, watch, or review the material and make an effort to address the concerns with the school staff or the district office.
After filling out the complaint form, the district’s board will hold a public meeting within 90 days to consider the complaint before coming to a decision 15 days after that meeting.
Within the regulation, only one book can be challenged per complaint form with no more than five complaint forms per person, per month.
Jason Raven with the South Carolina Department of Education said the purpose of this regulation is to bring uniformity, transparency, and consistency to the selection of instructional materials in schools across the state.
Raven told ABC 15 school board decisions can be appealed to the State Board of Education, but since the new regulation took effect, no appeals have been filed.
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