Iowa schools may finally get help from the state with the new book ban law. What to know:
After months of clamoring by public school administrators, Iowa Department of Education officials have set the first in a series of deadlines for eagerly awaited state guidance educators say they need to navigate a new law that orders them to remove books depicting sex and restricts teaching about gender identity.
Since Senate File 496's passage earlier this year, education officials and advocates have pushed for the Iowa Department of Education to give the state's 325 school districts a playbook for how to handle the sweeping and controversial law.
Left to seek their own legal guidance, some schools have removed hundreds of books, while others are requiring parents and guardians to give permission before a child can be called by a nickname. Others have waited, hoping for direction from the state before the law's penalties go into effect Jan 1.
Here is everything we know about the call for the Iowa Department of Education to release guidance for Senate File 496:
What is the timeline for releasing guidance?
The Iowa Board of Education has until Dec. 28 to begin the rulemaking process for Senate File 496, Heather Doe, the education department's spokesperson, told the Des Moines Register.
Beyond the December deadline, the Department of Education has not issued a timeline for when Iowa school districts will receive guidance. Previously, state officials advised school district staff to consult with their attorneys on how to best comply with the law.
Related: Iowa schools are pleading for state guidance on ban on books with sex. Will it come too late?
The rulemaking process will include publicly posting the proposed guidance, a public comment period, and the release and adoption of the final rules.
The Board of Education's next meeting is Nov. 15.
Does Senate File 496 go beyond banning books with sex acts?
Yes. The law also bans instruction and discussion about gender identity and sexual orientation through sixth grade.
It also requires educators to notify a child's parents or guardians if the student requests to use pronouns that differ from their sex at birth or asks to be called by a different name.
Some school district officials have interpreted this part of the law to mean caregivers must give permission for a student to be called by a nickname.
Related: Des Moines Public Schools has issued gender identity guidance. What you should know:
What are the penalties if books with sex remain on school shelves?
After the January deadline, state officials will give first-time offenders a written warning. Subsequent violations could lead to superintendents and employees being called before the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners for a hearing and possible disciplinary action.
The board is the state's licensing agency for K-12 educators.
Have Iowa schools begun removing books?
Yes.
More than 1,000 books have already been removed from 39 public school districts, according to data collected by the Des Moines Register as part of its Iowa's Book Ban Battle series.
The Register began collecting information in May about the number of books challenged and removed from Iowa public school districts.
Related: In 3 years, 60 books have been challenged in Iowa schools. A new law could ban far more.
What has been the reaction to the law requiring books be removed?
For months, school administrators and education advocates across the state have asked state officials for help implementing the new requirements. Some administrators have balked at removing any materials until there is guidance.
Authors around the country have voiced concerns over Iowa's book bans.
Related: Iowa is banning kids books, incensing authors. What's behind it? We explain in 60 seconds
"Friday Night Lights" author H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger reached out to Mason City Community School District officials to request administrators reconsider removing his 1990 from its collection. "Friday Night Lights" was one of 19 books initially culled from Mason City's collection in August.
At the time, the district made national headlines for being one of the first known school districts to use ChatGPT — an artificial intelligence system — to help with the vetting process.
"It's a frightening time right now, and all these book bans are getting out of control," Bissinger told USA TODAY Sports in early September. "It's also going to be a snowball. The bans keep happening and spreading, and I feel like people aren't aware of this. Freedom of speech and freedom of democracy is what makes this country a great place, and we're seeing people try to reverse some of that by banning books."
Bissinger's intervention led to the book's return to Mason City schools' shelves.
Related: An Iowa school official needed to know if 42 books contained sex. She asked ChatGPT for help
Has the bill affected districts in unexpected ways?
The new law advertently impacted school districts that share resources with public libraries and led at least two school districts to place disclaimers on nearby Little Free Libraries.
As many as eight Iowa public school districts share resources or space with public libraries in an effort to stretch limited funds and expand needed services. Ahead of the 2023-24 school year, officials scrambled to recode hundreds of library books, while others discussed ending decades-long partnerships in an effort to comply with the law.
Related: Why Iowa's ban on books with sex could sink libraries shared by schools and small towns
Education advocates told lawmakers before Senate File 496 passed that the law could put these agreements in jeopardy. Lawmakers chose not to exempt these schools from the law.
"This wasn't a get-out-of-jail-free card for seven or eight schools that had an arrangement with a library,” said Iowa Senate Education Committee Chair Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa told the Register in early August.
Related: Little Free Libraries come with a disclaimer at Urbandale, West Des Moines schools
In September, the public learned West Des Moines Community School District and the Urbandale Community School District placed disclaimers on Little Free Libraries near district schools.
Outside Webster Elementary in Urbandale, a message attached to the little library reads "This 'little library' is not funded, sponsored, endorsed or maintained by the Urbandale Community School District and is not in any way part of the Urbandale Schools library program."
Some school districts, like Des Moines Public Schools, chose not to post disclaimers.
Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa sets deadline for Board of Education to set guidance on book ban
