Brevard Public Schools cancels free online library, math game to comply with new state law

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Editor’s Note: Brevard took action in response to the HB 1467, a K-12 Education law, not the Parental Bill of Rights, which critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. An earlier headline was incorrect.

Brevard Public Schools has removed access to two popular free online services – a math game and an online library for children 12 and under – saying it could not continue using them due to increased legislative oversight on instructional materials.

Public schools spokesman Russell Bruhn said the district stopped allowing teachers to use Epic, a library system boasting about 40,000 titles for young readers, and Prodigy, an online game in which students play as wizards engaging in math battles, because it did not have the capability to properly vet the websites per Florida legislation passed this spring regulating how schools choose instructional material.

A law signed in March re training for school district staff who select instructional materials and library books, lays out requirements for schools to allow families to object to materials and mandates districts to adopt detailed policies and guidelines governing the selection of materials.

The decision has frustrated some parents and teachers who said the services helped engage young learners at no cost to the district, and that students used the websites for additional learning after class. Parents may have to purchase memberships to continue to access the same services.

Epic, an online library for students age 12 and under, will no longer be used at Brevard Public Schools. The district says it cannot vet the services 40,000 titles as required by law
Epic, an online library for students age 12 and under, will no longer be used at Brevard Public Schools. The district says it cannot vet the services 40,000 titles as required by law

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Epic posed a particular problem to PBS Bruhn said because media specialists must review all library books under a state law passed in March. Epic continually updates its library, making it difficult for the district to review the materials.

“We thought it was best at this point to pull access to that through school equipment,” Bruhn said. “Epic is still out there, and families can use it as they see fit, though they’ll most likely be charged.”

Both services are free for teachers to use, but they offer paid memberships for families. A home subscription to Epic runs $7.99 a month. Prodigy has a free plan with limited features for families, but a paid subscription starts at $9.95 per month.

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Tamsin Wright, a mother of two BPS students and a former teacher, said the services have benefited her children greatly their removal came as a surprise. Her youngest daughter started first grade with online instruction last year and read using Epic daily.

“Whatever she was into, if it was animals, she would type in animals and she would just go crazy devouring all these books about chickens and bunnies and farm animals,” Wright said. “And then she would be really into, like, space or something and she would go on a kick and read a bunch about space.”

Wright’s eldest daughter used Prodigy to practice math after school even though it was a subject she didn’t enjoy. She said her daughter came home one day in third grade excited to log in to the website. Wright said she believes her daughter's math scores improved as a result of using the platform.

“It is a shame to see my kids excited about things and then they go away, and it's something that was working and that they were engaged in,” Wright said. “It's like damn! It was a good thing. We need more of that.”

Teacher use of Epic has been limited in other school districts. Williamson County Schools in Tennessee suspended Epic in early April after receiving a complaint about a book called “The ABCs of Equality” that introduced social justice concepts to readers age five and younger. Epic’s catalogue also contains books about transgender identity and families with same-sex parents.

Bruhn said the removal of Epic did not stem from a parent complaint and wasn’t due to LGBTQ content.

“There have been no complaints about the type of books that are on Epic, which has countless titles for different age groups,” Bruhn said. “It’s really just a matter of trying to comply with the statute.”

Wright said she would be surprised if the website was removed for containing themes not appropriate for children, because the books were “appropriate almost to the point of being childish.”

“I definitely did not sit on Epic books combing through looking for inappropriate material,” Wright said. “That wasn't on my radar. But I can say that I was there as she used it almost daily for an entire year … It never crossed the line for me.”

Bailey Gallion is the education reporter for FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallion at 321-242-3786 or bgallion@floridatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Brevard Schools cancels two online services under new Florida law