The District will provide students with at least the minimum number of instructional hours and days each school year required by the state for full state aid funding. The District may deviate from this requirement only as permitted by state law.

The Board, advised by the Superintendent, will adopt a curriculum and procure textbooks and materials to support the curriculum.

The Superintendent or designee is responsible for providing and directing District-wide planning for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and staff development in accordance with Policy 2203. Committees consisting of educational professionals, including administrators, and community members, may be established to design instructional strategies and assessments to implement the curriculum.

A.    Parent Rights

As described in Policy 5401, the District will provide a Parent the opportunity to review District-approved curriculum, textbooks, and instructional materials upon request to the building principal. See Policy 5401 for appropriate procedures.

B.    Complaints about Instructional Materials

If a Parent objects to their student’s instructional materials, the following procedures will apply:

1.    First Level – Objection to Building Principal. The Parent must submit an objection and explanation in writing to the building principal using Form 5407-F. The building principal will review the Parent’s objection and the objected materials to determine whether:

a.    the stated objection outweighs the educational and pedagogical reasons the material was selected;

b.    the materials require the student to engage in conduct or practice that violates or substantially interferes with the student’s sincerely held religious belief or religious development;

c.     the materials lack serious educational, literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for the age range of the students in question; or

d.    the materials are inappropriate or harmful for the age range of the students in question.

The building principal will confer with the teacher as part of their review of the Parent’s objection.

The building principal will provide all parties with a written response granting or denying the Parent’s objection within 10 school days. If the Parent’s objection is granted, the student will be excused from this instructional material with no negative consequence.

2.    Committee Review

Second Level – Committee Review. If the Parent disagrees with the building principal’s response, the Parent may submit a written appeal to the Superintendent within 5 school days after receiving the building principal’s response. The Superintendent will create a committee to review the appeal. The committee will review the Parent’s written objection, the building principal’s response, the Parent’s written appeal, the materials being challenged, and any other information the committee deems relevant. The committee will issue a written decision within 30 calendar days of receiving the appeal based on the factors described in Section 1 above. The committee’s decision is final. If the Parent’s appeal is granted, the student will be excused from this instructional material with no negative consequence.

C.   Complaints about Library Materials

1.    If a Parent objects to materials in the school library, the Parent must submit an objection and explanation in writing to the Superintendent identifying:

a.    the basis for the objection;

b.    any recent known use of the library materials in the school; and

c.     any other relevant information.

2.    The Superintendent will review the written objection and the materials in question in their totality to determine whether:

a.    the materials lack serious educational, literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for the age range of the students in question; or

b.    the materials are inappropriate or harmful for the age range of the students in question.

The Superintendent may, in his or her sole discretion, designate review to another administrator or employee. The Superintendent or designee will endeavor to provide a written response to the Parent within 30 calendar days after receiving the objection. The Superintendent or designee’s decision is final.

The District will not restrict access to the challenged material during the review process.

Legal Authority: MCL 380.1137; MCL 388.1706; Mahmoud v Taylor, 606 US __ (2025)

Date adopted: 08/09/21

Date revised: 10/16/23, 07/17/2025