GENERAL REPUBLICAN BRAD SCHIMMEL HAS FORMALLY ANNOUNCED HIS RUN.

IN EDUCATION NEWS, SATURDAY MARKS THE END OF NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK DEDICATED TO GETTING YOUNG READERS INTO THE LOCAL LIBRARIES.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WISCONSIN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH MORE BOOK CHALLENGES AND BANS THAN EVER BEFORE, MORE THAN DOUBLING IN 2023.

DENZIN, HAS MORE.

>> I WOULD SAY OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIANS ARE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS AND IT'S THIS CULTURE WAR OF CONTROL.

>> I THINK THERE WAS 280 SOME BOOKS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT WERE BEING CHALLENGED.

>> EVEN NONREADERS WERE COMING UP TO ME, LIKE, "WHAT IS GOING ON?"

>> WISCONSIN IS SEEING A HUGE RISE IN BOOK CHALLENGES SINCE 2021 ADMINISTER THE INQUIRIES ARE SO STRONG THAT IT HAS SHIFTED THE PRIORITIES OF MY POSITION AND MADE THAT ONE OF THE FOCUS AREAS IN SUPPORT OF OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIANS.

>> MONICA TREPTOW IS THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF INSTRUCTION SCHOOL MEDIA LIBRARY CONSULTANT.

SHE HELPS EDUCATORS UNDERSTAND THE ENVIRONMENT OF BOOK CHALLENGES.

>> THERE'S THE BOOK CHALLENGES FOR DECADES.

THAT'S NOT A NEW THING.

BUT IT IS NEW IN THAT THE TECHNIQUES ARE DIFFERENT.

>> THOSE TECHNIQUES ARE OFTEN SPREAD ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

>> WITH SOCIAL MEDIA, THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION THAT IS SPREAD.

MISINFORMATION IS DESIGNED TO STOKE OUTRAGE.

>> DR. JILL UNDERLEY IS THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

FACEBOOK.COM/LOCAL2MFACEBOOK OR.

THE NUMBER OF CHALLENGED HIT A HIGH IN 2023.

IN WISCONSIN, THERE WERE 27 CHALLENGES AIMED AT HUNDREDS OF BOOKS.

BOOK CHALLENGE USED TO BE OVER A SINGLE BOOK.

A CONCERNED PART WOULD BRING IT TO THE LIBRARY OR AN EDUCATOR, INCLUDING LONG LISTS OF BOOKS THAT HAVE BEEN SENT STRAIGHT TO DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS OR SCHOOL BOARDS.

>> THE MIDDLE SCHOOL IS OVER 600 PAGES LONG AND FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL, I BELIEVE IT WAS OVER 1,400 PAGES LONG.

>> YOU LOOKED AT IT AT FIRST AND WENT, OH MY GOD.

>> WE KNEW IMMEDIATELY IT WAS NO WAY TO READ ALL OF THE BOOKS.

>> JASON TADLOCK, DAN TEAL WORKED IN THE SUPERINTENDENT.

KIEL IS THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AND McBURNEY IS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.

IN LATE 2023, ELKHORN ISSUED A CHALLENGE TO A WHOPPING 444 BOOKS.

THESE TWO STACKS REPRESENT ABOUT ONE-SIXTH OF ALL OF THE BOOKS THAT WERE CHALLENGED IN ELKHORN.

DISTRICT STAFF SAY IT TOOK MONTHS TO SIFT THROUGH ALL OF THE MATERIAL.

TITLES LIKE THE GRAPES OF WRATH AND GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO WERE AMONG THOSE CHALLENGED, AS WERE BOOKS INVOLVING LGBTQ OR RACE TOPICS.

>> IT WASN'T JUST SEX.

IT WAS DRUGS, ABUSE, ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TOPICS.

>> THE POLICY ALSO REQUIRED AT THAT TIME AND REQUIRES FOR THOSE BOOKS TO BE PULLED OUT OF CIRCULATION UNTIL SUCH A TIME A PRINCIPAL MAKES THAT JUDGMENT.

>> THAT CAUSED ABOUT 160 BOOKS FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ABOUT 280 BOOKS FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL TO BE TEMPORARILY PULLED FROM SHELVES.

IN ORDER TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT ALL 444 BOOKS, THE PARENT HAD PULLED REVIEWS OFF OF BOOKLOOKS.ORG.

AFFILIATED WITH MOMS FOR LIBERTY, WHICH IS CONSIDERED A FAR RIGHT ANTIGOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION BY A GROUP THAT TRACTS EXTREMISM IN AMERICA.

>> THE MESSAGE THAT PARENTS DON'T HAVE PRIVACY OVER THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION HAS BEEN PREVALENT FOR YEARS AND FOR TOO LONG, WE HAVE STAYED SIEBT AS OUT-OF-TOUCH ADMINISTRATORS, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND EVEN UNION LEADERS BEHAVED AS PARENTS AREN'T SMART ENOUGH TO CHOOSE WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN.

THE FOUNDERS OF MOMS FOR LIBERTY.

SHE'S USED SOCIAL MEDIA TOPEKA OUT AGAINST NUMEROUS BOOKS ALL OVER THE STATE SINCE 2020.

SHE DID NOT RESPOND TO A REQUEST TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR THIS STORY.

PUSHED BACK WHAT SHE CALLS INDOCTRINATATION.

>> WE SEND KIDS TO SCHOOL TO BE EDUCATED, NOT INDOCTRINATED, AND ALSO WE DON'T SEND THEM THERE FOR THERAPY.

>> Reporter: IN MADISON, GROUPS LIKE THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR THE DEFENSE OF TRADITION, FAMILY AND PROPERTY CAN BE FOUND PROTESTING CONTENT IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES.

>> THE LITERATURE THAT THEY'RE PROMOTING IN THE LIBRARIES, A LOT OF IT IS PORNOGRAPHIC OR OBSCENE.

MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN TFP, WHICH IS AN ANTILGBTQ ORGANIZATION.

ALLOWED IN LIBRARIES.

>> OF COURSE PARENTS SHOULD HAVE A SAY IN WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE READING, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CHALLENGES, IT'S REALLY A SUBSET OF PEOPLE ARE DICTATING WHAT IT IS THAT YOU CAN READ AND WHAT YOUR KIDS CAN READ.

>> Reporter: IN ELKHORN, PARENTS HAD TO TAKE ON MORE DUTIES.

>> PRINCIPALS, LIBRARIANS, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS, DIRECTORS, ALL HANDS ON DECK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING, WITH THE SHEER VOLUME OF IT, GETTING ALL THAT INFORMATION TOGETHER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

>> WE TRY TO DO OUR BEST TO GET A CONSENSUS ON WHERE IS THIS BOOK -- WHERE SHOULD THIS BOOK BE RATED AGE-WISE.

>> Reporter: TO DETERMINE AN APPROPRIATE AGE RANGE, THEY USED A COMBINATION OF PROFESSIONAL REVIEW SITES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTENT OF EACH BOOK.

ULTIMATELY, NONE OF THE BOOKS WERE BANNED BECAUSE STAFF DID NOT FIND ANY OF THE BOOKS TO BE OBJECTIONABLE.

FROM THE MIDDLE TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND ANOTHER HANDFUL HAD A GRADE OR AGE RESTRICTION APPLIED.

DESPITE THE LONG HOURS, DISTRICT STAFF SAID THAT THERE WAS ONE POSITIVE.

BOOK IN THEIR SCHOOL'S LIBRARY.

>> IT'S NOT BAD FOR ME TO GET INTO THE LIBRARY, SEE WHAT'S THERE, WHAT ARE PEOPLE CONCERNED WITH.

SIDDIQUI IT WAS A DISTRACTION FOR SOME OF THE STUDENTS.

>> I THINK THAT IT WAS DISRUPTIVE.

ANGST AMONG STUDENTS AND PARENTS.

AND A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

>> Reporter: REBECCA BELLUM IS THE SPECIALIST FOR THE ELKHORN.

>> SOME OF THE CIRCULATION WENT UP A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, OH, WHICH BOOKS ARE ON THAT LIST?

>> WE HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM PARENTS THAT HOW DARE AN INDIVIDUAL DETERMINE OR TRY TO DETERMINE FOR ME WHAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR MY KID OR NOT.

>> I WOULD JUST SAY THE MORE DIVERSE SELECTION WE HAVE IN HERE, THE MORE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE FOR THESE KIDS TO REALLY GROW.

>> LIBRARIES ARE PLACES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SAFE, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE INCLUSIVE FOR EVERYBODY.

THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH A BOOK CHALLENGE.

BUT WHEN IT GOES TO THESE EXTREMES AND YOU'VE GOT RAISING -- PEOPLE RAISING CONCERNS IN VERY -- EITHER DISTANT RELATIONSHIPS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OR IN MASS AMOUNTS, THEN IT TURNS INTO SOMETHING THAT DOES THREATEN DEMOCRACY.

>> UNDERLEY AND MONICA TREPTOW SAY NOW IS THE TIME FOR DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE TO REVIEW THEIR BOOK CHALLENGE POLICY.

>> REALLY IMPORTANT THAT OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS LOOK AT THEIR POLICIES SO THAT THEY CAN BE PREPARED.

ELKHORN DISTRICT IS REVISING THEIR CHALLENGE POLICY SO A ONE PERSON CAN'T CHALLENGE MASS BOOKS.

>> IT WILL REQUIRE UP TO FIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FIVE INDIVIDUALS FROM DIFFERENT HOUSEHOLDS WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT THE CHALLENGE.

>> Reporter: THE POLICY WILL REQUIRE THE CHALLENGER TO HAVE READ THE BOOK IN FULL BEFORE SUBMITTING.

THE DISTRICT ALSO DEVELOPED A FORM FOR PARENTS THAT WOULD GIVE THEIR PARENT STUDENTS ACCESS TO ANY RESTRICTIVE BOOK.

>> PARENTS CAN SAY MY KID CAN READ THE RESTRICTIVE BOOKS AND THEY'RE OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL KIDS.

>> MY ARGUMENT FOR THAT IS SOMETIMES, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE BOOK IS, THEN MAYBE PUT THAT IN THE PARENTS' HANDS AND LET THEM HAVE THOSE CONVERSATION WITH THEIR KIDS.

>> WE WANT OUR LIBRARIES TO BE THAT INCLUSIVE SPACE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO FIND THE RESOURCE THAT THEY NEED.

>> WHAT WE'RE DOING IS KEEPING BOOKS IN THE HANDS OF STUDENTS SO THAT THEY CAN SUPPORT THEIR LEARNING.

LEARNING.