Book Fairs on Hold in Greenville Due to New Regulations
Greenville, S.C. – The Greenville County School District has announced that it will be delaying book fairs for the upcoming school year. This decision comes after the State Board of Education introduced new regulations aimed at ensuring that educational materials provided to students are appropriate for their age and free from sexual content.
The new rules took effect on August 1, and officials stated that the quick implementation timeline left them no choice but to pause book fairs this year. Speaking for the district, spokesperson Tim Waller emphasized the importance of adhering to these regulations. He said, “We want to protect our employees, media specialists, teachers, anyone who might be involved in any respect with these book fairs. We want to protect them against accidentally violating the state regulation.”
As a result of this situation, school leaders said they did not have sufficient time to review every book featured in potential fairs. The district plans to come back to book fairs in the future, as Waller noted, “When I say pause, that means simply that we plan at some point in the future to go back to having book fairs; we love book fairs.”
In contrast, some neighboring school districts, like Spartanburg School District 5, have chosen to continue hosting their book fairs, even with the new regulations in place. Meanwhile, the Greenville County School District is focusing on fulfilling the requirements laid out by the new rules by investing in new resources.
According to Waller, the district is in the process of purchasing scanners for each school. These will help create a public database that parents can access to see which books are available to their children. Additionally, the district has allocated funds for extra clerical help during the cataloging process of books.
The State Board of Education has expressed its support for the district’s efforts to comply with the new regulations. They are available to assist in finding vendors that can help ensure schools provide age-appropriate materials.
