279.77 Transparency — publication of school district information.
493 words·~2 min read·
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1. Each school district shall publish all of the following information related to the current school year on the school district’s internet site:
a. A detailed explanation of the procedures or policies in effect for the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school district to request 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 the school district. Each school district shall prominently display the detailed explanation on the school district’s internet site.
b. A detailed explanation of the procedures or policies in effect to request the review of decisions made by the board of directors of the school district, including the petition process established pursuant to section 279.8B.
2. The board of directors of each school district shall adopt a policy describing the procedures for the parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the school district or a resident of the school district to review the instructional materials used in classrooms in the school district. The policy shall include a process for a student’s parent or guardian to request that the student not be provided with certain instructional materials. The policy shall be prominently displayed on the school district’s internet site and the board of directors of the school district shall, at least annually, provide a written or electronic copy of the policy to the parent or guardian of each student enrolled in the school district.
For purposes of this section, “instructional materials” means 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. “Instructional materials” does not include lesson plans.
3. Each school district shall 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. However, for school years beginning prior to July 1, 2025, if the school district does not use an electronic catalog, the school district may request a waiver from this requirement from the department of education.
4. The identity of a parent or guardian who requests 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 the school district pursuant to subsection 1, paragraph “a”, shall be confidential and shall not be a public record subject to disclosure under chapter 22.
5. This section shall not be construed to require a school district to do any of the following:
a. Reproduce educational materials that were not created by a person employed by the board of directors.
b. Distribute any educational materials in a manner that would infringe on the intellectual property rights of any person.