KENNEWICK, Wash.-A special meeting of the Kennewick School Board is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 20 to discuss a resolution concerning two controversial bills in the Washington State Legislative session.
At the meeting the board will reportedly discuss adopting a resolution in opposition to two bills, one concerning the right to ban materials and another requiring that age-appropriate materials containing minority perspectives be taught.
HB 2331: Passed the state House by a partisan vote of 58-39 and has now been introduced in the Senate.
According to the Washington State Legislature, HB 2331 would prevent school boards from banning materials that include contributions from protected people and would allow the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop guidelines for eliminating discrimination in course offerings, textbooks and instructional materials.
SB 5462 passed through the Senate and has been introduced in the Washington State House.
According to the State Legislature, SB 5462 would require school districts to adopt policies, procedures and curriculum that include the histories, contributions and perspectives of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups.
The KSD’s special board meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the KSD Administration Center at 1000 W. 4th Ave. in Kennewick. A public comment period will be held at the beginning of the meeting, according to a post from the district, and the meeting can also be viewed remotely.