JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Department of Education has approved a $15.6 million contract to create and maintain a new statewide curriculum transparency website.
The site could launch before the start of the next school year and will allow Floridians to monitor, review, and even challenge school instructional materials like textbooks and library books.
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The four-year contract requires the vendor to build the website, which according to contract documents, would have to allow districts to upload instructional materials.
State law currently requires districts to post those materials online already.
The website would also have to allow users to view those materials and file objections to them.
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“These people could keyword search books, take things completely out of context, and then, you know, submit comments away, that result in mass removals,” Stefana Ferrell with the Florida Freedom to Read Project said.
Ferrell worries the launch of the one-stop-shop for complaints will make serial book challengers’ efforts easier, more efficient, and even more effective, as complaints could be submitted to districts and the state at the same time.
“It definitely will cloud the judgment of those that are supposed to be representing the needs and interests of everyone in the community and not just a small portion,” Ferrell said.
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Ferrell is also concerned about the cost to local districts as they will be responsible for picking up the tab associated with scanning and uploading their materials to the new site.
“These laws are asking for our districts to spend local resources of efforts that are going to limit access to educational materials, not expand access,” Ferrell said.
According to the contract, the system is supposed to be up and running by the end of the fiscal year, which concludes on June 30, 2025.
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