### Florida Book Bans Surge, Nearly Doubling in Numbers Over Past Year

The Florida Department of Education has revealed an alarming increase in the number of books removed from schools across the state. Over 700 books were either removed or discontinued from district libraries in the past school year, a sharp rise from the approximately 400 books on the previous year's list.

Several Central Florida school districts, including Brevard, Marion, Orange, Polk, Seminole, and Volusia Counties, participated in the removal of these books. Volusia County led the effort, banning 40 titles, which range from iconic works such as Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five" to contemporary favorites like "Looking for Alaska" by John Green.

Stephana Ferrell, the Director of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, voiced her concerns over the rising trend, suggesting that the list of banned books might be even longer than reported. "A lot of them removed many, many books, including classic literature and literature that regularly appears on the AP exams and prepares our students for college-level coursework. We're removing all of these books," she stated. Ferrell criticized the influence of a small number of vocal parents and residents over the broader community’s access to diverse literature. "One or two loud people in a particular district can dictate for all what is available, and it runs against what a majority of parents are telling their school districts they want," she added.

According to PEN America, Florida continues to lead the country in book bans, with over 4,500 titles removed from shelves last year alone. This censorship effort has cost school districts between $34,000 and $135,000 annually. A law enacted in 2023, HB 1069, requires every school district in Florida to establish a policy for challenging book content that includes sexual conduct, is deemed unsuitable for student comprehension, or is inappropriate for the grade level.

In response to growing criticism and the volume of challenges, Governor Ron DeSantis requested legislative action to limit the number of challenges non-parents can make. This led to the passage of HB 1285 in 2024, aimed at curbing the influence of non-parental individuals on school district decisions regarding book content.

Despite these efforts, the Florida Department of Education maintains that no books are banned in Florida, emphasizing that sexually explicit materials should not be accessible in schools. They argued that the narrative of book banning is a "hoax" propagated by far-left activist groups, posing the question as to why these organizations are eager to expose children to inappropriate content.

As the debate continues, the effect of these policies on academic preparedness and freedom of access to literature remains a heated issue amongst educators, parents, and policy-makers alike.