FL S0864

District school boards have the constitutional duty and responsibility to select and provide adequate instructional materials for all students, and are responsible for the content of all materials used in classrooms regardless of source.

District school boards must adopt policies for parental objection to instructional materials and establish a process allowing parents to contest adoptions within 30 calendar days, with school board decisions on contested materials being final after a public hearing.

Districts implementing their own instructional materials programs must adopt rules requiring public access to materials online for at least 20 calendar days before adoption, open school board hearings for public comment, and separate open public meetings to approve annual instructional materials plans.

Beginning in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, district school boards must use at least 50 percent (and may use all) of their annual instructional materials allocation for digital or electronic materials that align with state standards and district objectives, with specific requirements for content accuracy and student comprehension.

The Department of Education may assess fees from publishers up to $1,000 per submission to support instructional materials review, and district school boards may assess fees up to $3,500 per submission to support their review processes and pay stipends to instructional materials reviewers.