School Trustees Reaffirm Support of Reading Series

Lawndale School District trustees have unanimously reaffirmed their support for the “Impressions” reading series, despite a review panel’s conclusions that some of the material is inappropriate for grade-school pupils and that some readings need to be handled with caution.

The board, which adopted the controversial series published by Holt, Reinhart & Winston, agreed to convene a panel of teachers, parents and administrators after receiving complaints from some parents and members of a conservative Christian organization that the stories are satanic and morbid.

The 22-member panel concluded that the books are generally acceptable, but that five selections in the teachers’ books are inappropriate and that 21 selections need to be handled with sensitivity.