The Alachua County School Board unanimously passed a series of amendments to administrative job descriptions and kept four books on shelves.
The changes, approved by the school board on Monday, emphasize compliance with evolving state laws while addressing the district's operational and educational goals.
The updates reflect broader themes in recent Florida education legislation, including deregulation of public schools, curriculum content oversight and limitations on diversity programs.
Several positions, such as chiefs of equity, finance and operations, respectively, saw revised duties to align with “state-approved language,” according to district documents.
The role of chief of equity, inclusion and community engagement was updated to assistant superintendent of student support services.
The prohibition of public funds for DEI programs, as outlined in State Bill 266, impacts administrative roles dedicated to equity and inclusion. The state defines DEI initiatives broadly, targeting efforts categorized as promoting differential treatment based on race or gender.
The role now focuses on compliance with equity-related state mandates while maintaining efforts to reduce educational barriers. Nearly all references to DEI were stricken from the job description, according to the document.
During the meeting, District 2 board member Thomas Vu asked where the expected duties of community engagement would fall, if not on the chief.
Deputy Superintendent Cathy Atria said most community engagement would fall under ACPS spokespersons, and teaching and learning communication would fall under another new assistant superintendent department.
“I think it really depends on what the content of the communication is,” she said.
Superintendent Kamela Patton said all crisis communications would also now fall under her department.
The role of chief of teaching and learning was updated to assistant superintendent of teaching and learning.
House Bill 1291 prohibits the teaching of topics in teacher preparation programs that "distort significant historical events" or include theories on systemic racism, sexism, oppression and privilege.
The document emphasizes alignment with state-approved language and compliance with laws regarding instructional practices. This is directly influenced by HB 1291 and the Florida Educational Equity Act, which requires district oversight of teaching methods and curriculum to ensure alignment with state standards.
The role of chief of operations was updated to assistant superintendent of operations.
House Bill 1403 expands Florida’s voucher programs, merging existing scholarship initiatives and increasing access for military families, students with disabilities and pre-K students in private institutions. It also removes caps that previously limited student eligibility for funding.
The new role reflects a response to the growing competitive pressures from private institutions funded by these expanded voucher programs.
ACSB keeps books on shelves
The Alachua County School Board unanimously voted to keep four books on shelves. Each challenged book went through a review process through the District Library Advisory Council.
Alachua County residents who are not ACPS parents or guardians may only object to a maximum of one material per month. There is no limit to the number of objections parents or guardians may make.
Books can be challenged if the material includes pornography or sexual content or is age-inappropriate for grade level, not suited for student needs or hard for students to comprehend.
A list of all challenged books in Alachua County is available through the Alachua County School Board.
All books voted to be kept on shelves during Monday’s meeting were at the recommendation of the DLAC.
The book “Lucky” by Alice Sebold was voted to be kept on high school shelves at Buchholz, Gainesville and Eastside High Schools. The book was removed from shelves in 17 other Florida counties for its accurate depiction of sexual assault, Staff Attorney Susan Seigle said.
The petitioner of the challenge also did not appear for the DLAC book challenge hearing, she said.
“It may be sexually explicit, but it’s not pornographic,” she said.
The book “Burned” by Ellen Hopkins was voted to be kept on high school shelves at Gainesville and Eastside High Schools. The book was removed from shelves in eight other counties for its depictions of alcohol and sex, Seigle said.
“The book has literary value and is not harmful to minors,” she said. “Every story does not have a happy ending.”
The books “Empire of Storms” by Sarah J. Maas and “FADE” by Lisa McMann were also voted to be kept on high school shelves.
The next ACSB meeting will be Dec. 10 at 6 p.m.
Contact Sara-James Ranta at sranta@alligator.org. Follow her on X @sarajamesranta.
Sara-James Ranta is a third-year journalism major, minoring in sociology of social justice and policy. Previously, she served as a general assignment reporter for The Alligator's university desk.
