The following procedures have been established to provide a system for receiving, considering and acting upon written complaints regarding instructional materials used by the district.
Complaints will only be accepted from either residents of the district or parents/guardians whose child is enrolled as a student in a district school.
Complaints must be presented in writing to the building principal. Complaints regarding printed material must include the name of the author, title, publisher, and the objection by pages and items. In the case of nonprinted materials, written information specifying the precise nature of the objection shall be given. The statement must be signed and identified in such a way that a proper reply will be possible.
When a complaint is received by a principal, the principal will acknowledge the receipt of the complaint, and will answer any questions regarding procedure. The principal will then notify the Superintendent or designee and the teacher(s) involved of the receipt of the complaint. The Superintendent or designee will determine whether the complaint should be considered an individual request or whether a building or district level review
committee should be activated to reevaluate the material.
An individual student may be excused from using challenged materials after the parent/guardian has presented a written complaint. The teacher will then assign the student alternate materials of equal merit.
The building level review committee shall be under the direction of the Superintendent or designee. It shall be composed of the building principal and four (4) or more staff members. These shall be selected by the Superintendent or designee from school or district personnel directly concerned.
The district level review committee shall be under the direction of the Superintendent or designee. It shall be composed of the Assistant Superintendent and five (5) or more staff members. These shall be selected by the Superintendent or designee from the administrative and instructional areas directly concerned with the subject of the complaint.
The use of challenged materials by class, school or district shall not be restricted until final disposition has been made by the appropriate review committee, but as above, individual students may be permitted to use alternate materials.
In deliberation of challenged materials, the review committee shall consider the educational philosophy of the school district; the professional opinions of other teachers of the same subject and of other competent authorities; reviews of the materials by reputable bodies; the teacher's own stated objectives in using the materials; and the objections of the complainant.
The review committee shall determine the extent to which the challenged material supports the curriculum, the educational appropriateness of the material, and the appropriateness of the material to the age level of the student.
The findings of the building review committee and/or the district review committee shall be summarized in a written report and be sent to the Superintendent or designee who will determine how interested parties shall be notified.
If the Superintendent or designee believes that the material challenged and the circumstances around the challenge are likely to produce public controversy, the report of the review committee together with the Superintendent's or designee's recommendation may be brought to the Governing Board for consideration and final decision.
County or State Adopted Material
If the challenged material has been adopted by the County Board of Education, the Superintendent or designee may forward the complaint, without action, to the office of the County Superintendent of Schools for reevaluation and decision.
If the questioned material has been adopted by the State of California, the Superintendent or designee may forward the complaint, without action, to the office of the State Department of Education for reevaluation and decision.
Regulation KINGS CANYON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
approved: July 5, 1988 Reedley, California