The Bondurant-Farrar School Board has reversed its decision to permanently remove 17 book titles from the district’s classrooms and libraries, and also is returning dozens of other books to circulation.
The vote at a Feb. 12 board meeting reversed a Jan. 22 decision. At that earlier meeting, the board had signed off on a recommendation from district officials to permanently remove 17 of the roughly 80 book titles that were taken out of libraries and classrooms as Senate File 496 took effect.
The sweeping Iowa education law requires book in schools be “age-appropriate,” and bans those depicting sex acts. It also prohibits curriculum and instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation through sixth grade.
But in late December, a federal judge blocked the state from enforcing the ban and curriculum restrictions while legal action continues over the law in court.
Bondurant-Farrar librarians and grade 7-12 teachers had reviewed classroom and library books, and more than 80 books were removed at the junior high and high school levels. None were removed in kindergarten through sixth grade.