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 filled with morbid themes.

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 in all four series books need to be handled with sensitivity.