Instructional Materials

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    The mission of the Pinellas County Schools Instructional Materials Department is to support teaching and learning in PCS classrooms by ensuring appropriate instructional materials are provided to teachers and students, providing guidance to schools and district personnel on the State’s instructional materials adoption process, and managing the instructional materials budget, ordering and inventory system for the district.

    The state of Florida allocates a per student dollar amount each year for the acquisition of instructional material. We follow all the guidelines set forth in the Florida Statutes for Instructional Materials.

    We encourage parent and community participation in our adoption process. If you would like to serve on a textbook adoption committee and formally review the resources, please email Meghan Frye, Instructional Materials Program Coordinator at fryem@pcsb.org.
     
     

    Public Review of Recommended Materials

    Instructional Materials Review
    Upon completion of the public review period of 20 days, an open noticed school board hearing will be held to receive public comment on the selection(s) and the school board will review the recommended instructional materials.

    Once the selected instructional materials have been approved by the school board, the parent of a public school student or a resident of the county may contest the Board’s adoption of specific instructional materials as described in the Adoption of Instructional Materials section in Policy 2510.  The term “resident” means a person who has maintained his or her residence in this state for the preceding year, has purchased a home that is occupied by him or her as his or her residence, or has established a domicile in this state pursuant to s.222.17. The parent, or resident, must file with the Board within thirty (30) calendar days after the Board’s adoption of specific instructional material a petition on form 2-3185 (Objection to Instructional and/or Media Material). The petition form shall be publicly available by visiting in-person or by accessing the School Board’s website at www.pcsb.org.  The petition must be signed by the parent or resident, include the required contact information, and state the objection to the instructional material.  Instructional Materials Objection Form

    Within thirty (30) calendar days after the thirty (30) day contest period has expired, the School Board must, for all petitions timely received, conduct at least one (1) open public hearing before an unbiased and qualified hearing officer.  The hearing officer may not be an employee or agent of the school district.  The hearing is not subject to the provision of Chapter 120; however, the hearing must provide sufficient procedural protections to allow each petitioner an adequate and fair opportunity to be heard and present evidence to the hearing officer.  The Board’s decision after convening a public hearing is final and not subject to further Board or District petition or review.

     

    Contact

    Meghan Frye
    Program Coordinator
    Phone: 727-547-7130