Greenville County Schools pause in-person book fairs

Greenville County Schools in South Carolina announced that they will not be holding in-person book fairs this year, but they hope to resume them in the future. According to a district spokesperson, the decision to pause the book fairs is due to new guidelines from the South Carolina State Board of Education regarding the selection of instructional materials. The district explained that they are unable to review all the content from the book fairs in advance, and the book fairs are unable to supply detailed information about their materials before the fall events.

Below is the full statement:

“Firstly, we acknowledge the importance of school-sponsored book fairs as a valuable tool for promoting reading among students and involving parents and the community in supporting literacy. Additionally, these book fairs serve as a fundraising opportunity for schools, benefiting both students and the broader community.

 

However, effective August 1, 2024, South Carolina’s State Board of Education enacted SC Regulation 43-170, which introduces new requirements for the selection of instructional materials provided by schools or made available to students. Due to this, Greenville County Schools has decided to pause all book fairs for the current school year. This pause is necessary to work with vendors to find a solution that ensures compliance and protects employees from the risk of violating the regulation. The logistics of hosting book fairs involve managing large shipments of books and materials with a quick turnaround time between schools, making it impossible for school personnel to thoroughly vet all content upon arrival. Additionally, vendors are unable to provide detailed content information far enough in advance for the District to review it before the start of the fall book fairs.

 

Our Academics team is actively collaborating with schools and book fair vendors to explore ways to continue offering book fairs in the future. In the interim, alternatives such as book clubs and online book fairs are available for schools to consider. We will provide more information once we have assessed these options for this year.

 

Greenville County Schools recognizes the significance of book fairs in fostering a love of reading and raising funds for schools. Please be assured that the District is dedicated to finding compliant alternatives in the future, enabling us to continue involving parents and the community in supporting literacy both within our schools and at home.”

The district stated that they are actively exploring options to resume in-person book fairs in the future.

 

The South Carolina Department of Education issued the following statement:

 

“The Department commends the District for its vigilance. The SCDE will support efforts to find vendors that can provide schools and families with the assurance that they are offering age-appropriate materials to our students.”

 

FOX Carolina contacted all public school districts in the Upstate for comment. As of now, no other districts have responded with plans to suspend in-person book fairs.

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