Relating to school districts, including by modifying provisions related to closed sessions of meetings of the boards of directors of school districts and school district requirements to publish information regarding the school district’s policies and procedures and educational materials available to students enrolled in the school district

This bill relates to school districts, including by modifying provisions related to closed sessions of meetings of the boards of directors of school districts and school district requirements to publish information regarding the school district’s policies and procedures and educational materials available to students enrolled in the school district.77 requires school districts to adopt a policy describing the procedures for the parent or guardian of a student, or a resident of the school district, to review the instructional materials used in classrooms in the school district. 77 defines “instructional materials” to mean either printed or electronic textbooks and related core materials that are written and published primarily for use in elementary school and secondary school instruction and are required by a state educational agency or local educational agency for use by students in the student’s classes by the teacher of record. The bill modifies the definition of “instructional materials” to include any book, article, audio or visual clip, internet site, digital material, or instructional handout that is assigned, distributed, or otherwise presented to students in any course for which students receive academic credit.77 requires school districts to make available on the school district’s internet site a comprehensive list of all books available to students in libraries operated by the school district. The bill provides this provision to require school districts to also make available on the school district’s internet site a list of all instructional materials used at each attendance center in the school district in the current school year, organized by subject area, grade level, and teacher utilizing the instructional material. The list must include the title and author of the instructional material, or the organization associated with the production of the instructional material, and if the instructional material is accessed on the internet, the internet address where the instructional material may be accessed. The bill establishes other requirements related to this list and alternative ways in which a school district may comply with these requirements.77.77, and written responses from the school district describing actions taken. If a person has satisfied all of the requirements associated with the process, the person may bring a civil action, including an action for a writ of mandamus, and if the person prevails, the court is required to award reasonable court costs and attorney fees to the person.77 renders the board members who fail to obey the orders of the court in contempt of the court and subject to penalties provided for that offense.77.77 shall not be construed to require a school district to separately include the individual components of textbooks or other instructional materials that are produced as a single volume in any required list; include in any required list instructional materials that are used at an attendance center that is utilized by less than students, instructional materials that are used only for individualized special education instruction as part of a student’s individualized education program, or instructional materials that are used only for the instruction of a student who has a plan under section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act; or update any required list when the internet address where an instructional material may be accessed no longer functions or to account for people retiring or otherwise discontinuing employment at the school district. The bill authorizes the board of directors of a school district to arrange to meet in a closed session, in accordance with the state’s open meetings requirements, to hear the request of a parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school district that is related to the removal of a book, article, outline, handout, video, or other educational material that is available to students in the classroom or in a library operated by a school district.3.16.2. The inclusion of this specification is intended to reinstate the requirement of political subdivisions to comply with any state mandates included in the bill.