Escambia set to weigh end of citizen book committees as policy revisions advance
By T.S. Strickland
September 15, 2025 at 10:54 AM CDT
Escambia County school leaders are weighing whether to eliminate citizen-led book review committees and replace them with a faster, administrator-run process that sends final decisions directly to the School Board. The idea, discussed at a Sept. 11 workshop, is now before the board in the form of two competing policy drafts set for first reading on Sept. 16. The choice comes as Florida districts face new requirements for how they vet and remove school library titles and as Escambia sits at the center of a closely watched federal lawsuit over book restrictions.
One draft would keep the ad hoc citizen panels that have handled challenges in recent years, while the other would retire them and instead have a small district team under the superintendent review objections, apply written criteria, and forward recommendations to the elected board for a public vote.
RELATED: Florida appeals ruling on book removals in First Amendment lawsuit
In addition to the two versions of this policy, the board will also take first reading of a revised version of a related policy governing how new materials are selected. That proposal would require written certifications from media specialists, ban sexually explicit content, impose grade-band limits on profanity, and mandate a searchable online catalog. It would also require that new purchases come before the board as line items with opportunities for public comment.
Supporters of replacing the committees argued on Thursday that the existing structure is cumbersome, costly, and slow—especially under Florida’s tightened rules around school materials. A public commenter, Rich Holsonback, backed the change in plain terms: “To continue doing it the way we’re doing it right now is akin to letting a bunch of horses out of the corral, out of the barn, running all over the valleys and hills and then trying to pull them back in," he said. "It’s time-consuming. It’s laborious. It has not been working.” No other speakers addressed the policy during the workshop’s public forum.
At the same time, board members stressed that parental and community involvement must not vanish.
“I am one that firmly believes in parental involvement,” District 5 Board Member Tom Harrell said. District 4 Board Member Carissa Bergosh said she had not reached a final decision. “I’m still on the fence about review committees,” she said. “I’m still researching them and studying them and talking with my constituents about it.”
On Sept. 16, the board is expected to decide which version of the book challenge policy to advertise. State law requires policies to be publicly noticed before adoption, and a final hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21. If substantive changes are made after advertising, the process would have to restart with new notice before the board could vote.
RELATED: Escambia school board removes hundreds of books without review, book challenge policies to change
Florida’s recent laws have expanded who can object to school materials, required districts to publish searchable catalogs and purchase lists online, and accelerated timelines for addressing certain objections. Those requirements have pushed many school systems to formalize criteria, tighten documentation, and centralize decision-making.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1982 Island Trees School District v. Pico decision, though fractured, remains a guidepost: public schools cannot remove library books simply to suppress particular ideas. That legal backdrop has put a premium on written standards, age-appropriateness rationales, and clear records of how decisions are made.
Escambia has been at the forefront of this national debate. In 2023, PEN America, Penguin Random House, authors, parents, and students sued the district and its board, arguing that book removals violated the First Amendment. A federal judge allowed core claims to proceed, keeping the case—and Escambia’s policies—under close scrutiny. District leaders have said in public meetings that their aim is to follow state law and protect students while maintaining a process that is workable and transparent.
One draft would keep the ad hoc citizen panels that have handled challenges in recent years, while the other would retire them and instead have a small district team under the superintendent review objections, apply written criteria, and forward recommendations to the elected board for a public vote.
RELATED: Florida appeals ruling on book removals in First Amendment lawsuit
In addition to the two versions of this policy, the board will also take first reading of a revised version of a related policy governing how new materials are selected. That proposal would require written certifications from media specialists, ban sexually explicit content, impose grade-band limits on profanity, and mandate a searchable online catalog. It would also require that new purchases come before the board as line items with opportunities for public comment.
Supporters of replacing the committees argued on Thursday that the existing structure is cumbersome, costly, and slow—especially under Florida’s tightened rules around school materials. A public commenter, Rich Holsonback, backed the change in plain terms: “To continue doing it the way we’re doing it right now is akin to letting a bunch of horses out of the corral, out of the barn, running all over the valleys and hills and then trying to pull them back in," he said. "It’s time-consuming. It’s laborious. It has not been working.” No other speakers addressed the policy during the workshop’s public forum.
At the same time, board members stressed that parental and community involvement must not vanish.
“I am one that firmly believes in parental involvement,” District 5 Board Member Tom Harrell said. District 4 Board Member Carissa Bergosh said she had not reached a final decision. “I’m still on the fence about review committees,” she said. “I’m still researching them and studying them and talking with my constituents about it.”
On Sept. 16, the board is expected to decide which version of the book challenge policy to advertise. State law requires policies to be publicly noticed before adoption, and a final hearing is scheduled for Oct. 21. If substantive changes are made after advertising, the process would have to restart with new notice before the board could vote.
RELATED: Escambia school board removes hundreds of books without review, book challenge policies to change
Florida’s recent laws have expanded who can object to school materials, required districts to publish searchable catalogs and purchase lists online, and accelerated timelines for addressing certain objections. Those requirements have pushed many school systems to formalize criteria, tighten documentation, and centralize decision-making.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1982 Island Trees School District v. Pico decision, though fractured, remains a guidepost: public schools cannot remove library books simply to suppress particular ideas. That legal backdrop has put a premium on written standards, age-appropriateness rationales, and clear records of how decisions are made.
Escambia has been at the forefront of this national debate. In 2023, PEN America, Penguin Random House, authors, parents, and students sued the district and its board, arguing that book removals violated the First Amendment. A federal judge allowed core claims to proceed, keeping the case—and Escambia’s policies—under close scrutiny. District leaders have said in public meetings that their aim is to follow state law and protect students while maintaining a process that is workable and transparent.