JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Parents are asking Duval County Public School board members to support a couple of education bills proposed by local lawmakers, currently going through the legislative process.
Senate Bill 1414, also known as the "Freedom to Learn Act" would peel back requirements that school districts remove challenged books within five days.
Filed by Sen. Tracie Davis, the law would allow school libraries to contain books "presenting all points of view on current and historical issues."
Materials could not be "removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval," according to Davis’ proposed law.
Justin Kugler is a member of a group called Public School Defenders. He’s one of many who voiced support for the bill Tuesday evening at the school board meeting.
Kugler has two kids in elementary school and said he wants them to have access to the widest array of learning material possible.
"It will restore classroom libraries back to teacher control,” Kugler said. “It will restore the rights of all parents in the book challenge process and ensure that school libraries will remain open."
Another bill on the organization's radar is House Bill 1323, filed by Rep. Angie Nixon, which would require charter schools to disclose what their dollars are going toward or risk losing funding.
Nixon said it's about holding those schools to the same standards as public schools.
"This is just an accountability measure,” Nixon said. “We want to make sure we're being fiscally responsible with our tax dollars. And we want to make sure that charter schools are doing the right things with their money."
Kugler said this is another law Public School Defenders are advocating for.
"For every good charter school that you have out there, you have some that may just be a cash grab,” Kugler said, “and we need to make sure that charter schools are held to the same standards as public schools in reporting how public dollars are being spent."
No one spoke out in opposition to the bills at the meeting.
If the state legislature passes the bills, they would go into effect on July 1 before the next school year begins.