Instructional Materials Complaint Procedure

As of June 25, 2024, the State Board of Education’s unanimously passed Uniform Procedure for Selection or Reconsideration of Instructional Materials (Regulation 43-170) has tolled the required 120 days under the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act and will take effect upon publication in July’s State Register. It will allow for material challenges brought by a parent or legal guardian of a student within a respective district beginning August 1, 2024.

Historically, the handling of concerns or complaints related to instructional materials other than those adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE) through the statewide textbook adoption process (S.C. Code Ann. § 59-31-550) has been governed by a patchwork quilt of local processes across the 80+ school districts in the state.

Regulation 43-170 aims to bring uniformity, transparency, and consistency to this process, ensuring it is pedagogically sound, legally defensible, and logistically feasible. This Regulation aligns with Supreme Court precedent and state law, focusing on the removal of inappropriate sexual material, as clearly defined in longstanding state law, from public school classrooms and libraries. You may read more about the background, key provisions, adoption process, and FAQs in this brief executive summary.

Districts are required to make the form “readily available” on their website. The form can be found using the following link: Complaint Form

Parents can file a complaint beginning August 1, 2024. Please email a completed copy of the form to Assistant Superintendent Brian Goins. Once received and reviewed, the complaint will be forwarded to the respective school's principal.

Districts are required to make the Appeal Form "readily available" on the website. The appeal form can be found using the following link: Appeal Form. Please email a completed copy of the form to SCLReg@ed.sc.gov.

Florence School District 5

Instructional Materials Complaint Procedure