May 05, 2022

Salina school board: Challenged book will remain in the library

Posted May 05, 2022 10:30 AM
"All Boys Aren't Blue," a memoir by LGBTQ author George M. Johnson, has been the target of book challenges nationwide. photo credit Suzanne Perez 
"All Boys Aren't Blue," a memoir by LGBTQ author George M. Johnson, has been the target of book challenges nationwide. photo credit Suzanne Perez 

SALINE COUNTY —Salina Public Schools has again determined a library book recently challenged, All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M. Johnson, will remain on the shelf, according to a statement from USD 305.

At a special meeting on Wednesday, the board of education voted to keep the book in the school library and adopt the findings of committees convened at the building and district levels.

A process so that parents and guardians can notify the school of their oversight preference has been developed and will be included in handbooks. This would allow a concerned parent or guardian to put “parental permission” in place prior to their student checking out a book.

The district’s process to manage any challenges to textbooks and instructional materials is clear*. The first step is a meeting between the concerned individual, the school principal and the library media specialist. The next steps are a building review committee and then a district-level review committee. The final step is a review of the reports by the board of education and a hearing for the complainants. This third level of appeal is the final level and the decision of the board of education is final.