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NC House Bill 805 Analysis: Navigating Barriers to Equitable Literacy Achievement

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Welcome to Sarabi Kearney, an educator from eastern North Carolina.

Introduction

Recent news headlines include the ratification of House Bill 805 by North Carolina lawmakers in July 2025. The law has been amended to clarify specific gender roles and include parental access to school and classroom library catalogs, along with the decision to opt out of classroom discussions. This policy excludes the use of textbooks. Library books are defined as  “… electronic, print, and nonprint resources for independent use by students and school personnel outside of the standard course of study for any grade or course” (House Bill 805 / SL 2025-84 (2025-2026 Session) – North Carolina General Assembly, n.d.). Local boards of education have been directed to adopt this policy under a minimum of two requirements. Public access to school library catalogs must be provided through a web-based search engine and displayed on each school’s home webpage, giving parental guardians access to approve or deny any books to be borrowed by students (House Bill 805 / SL 2025-84 (2025-2026 Session) – North Carolina General Assembly, n.d.). Book censorship has been a controversial topic in literacy policy for many years. Enactment of this policy could produce barriers to access an enriched literacy education.

Policy Stakeholders

The bill was originally proposed to protect women and children from sexual exploitation, prohibiting the unlawful publishing of pornographic material. Since this proposal, the bill was amended by Senate Republicans to include transgender policies, public school literacy materials, and classroom discussions. Governor Josh Stein originally vetoed this bill, following up with the statement, “These mean-spirited bills would marginalize vulnerable people and also undermine the quality of public services and public education” (Governor Stein Takes Action on 12 Bills, 2025). However, this veto was overridden by a majority vote in the Republican legislature and is now a North Carolina law. Stakeholders impacted by this policy include students, parents, educators, and school librarians. A proper inventory will need to be conducted in libraries and classrooms, making these books accessible to public opinion.

Implications on Literacy Instruction

            Stakeholders in literacy instruction have expressed concerns surrounding the bill. Public scrutiny creates limitations on access to a variety of classroom books. Many educators are worried that this is an attack on diverse titles and young adult contemporary texts that compose classroom and school libraries. The role of public school librarians and teachers who build catalogs of stories that represent diverse cultural backgrounds has been called into question by government officials in favor of this bill. Senator Buck Newton, a Wilson County Republican divulged his commitment to spreading this policy by stating, “… we think it’s constitutionally based that parents are the determiners, the ultimate determiners, of their children’s education, and we choose to empower them” (Keung Hui & Guinassi, 2025). Others who have voted against the bill have pushed back by labeling it as a false narrative. Senator Lisa Grafstein, a Wake County Democrat shared “There’s a narrative out there that librarians suddenly who we all grew up, you know, learning from and being guided by that somehow they’ve turned evil and they’re trying to harm children” (Keung Hui & Guinassi, 2025). Will parents/guardians place restraints on access to materials needed for high quality literacy instruction or will they create partnerships with educators who stand in solidarity with culturally responsive teaching practices?

            Concern has also been raised surrounding student participation in classroom discussions and activities that could place a substantial burden on the student’s religious beliefs. While the separation of church and state has been prioritized in public education for many years, this policy places a thorough angle on the perspective of stakeholders in literary discussions. Shared literacy experiences create a space for students to deeply reflect on their learning and engage with peers who may have similar and different takeaways from assigned readings. Discussing similarities and differences in views and beliefs is where conversations tend to become sensitive topics, and these topics must now be evaluated before they are introduced in a classroom setting. Depending on how sensitive a subject is to a parental guardian, they may choose to remove their child from the discussion, and the teacher will be tasked to provide the student with an alternative assignment that aligns with the standard course of study.

Implications on Student Learning

            Student learning outcomes are largely impacted by this policy in two ways. The instructional time/administrative load dedicated to curating catalogs and alignment or tension with current Science of Reading reforms. Some teachers have already expressed that the catalog process will divert major time and attention from core literacy planning (Keith, 2025). Sharing this information with the public is a favorable act, however, the groundwork of sorting through libraries that contain hundreds of books before students can access them will take more than a little time. An additional concern at large is a disconnect between the current push in Science of Reading principles and book censorship. While success with early foundational literacy skills may continue to improve, there is fear that text-rich outcomes such as vocabulary, background knowledge, and oral language skills may considerably plummet (Rash & Rash, 2024). Breadth of knowledge and vocabulary volume are deeply enriched with access to a wide variety of texts.

Conclusion

          As districts are aiming to be proactive in enacting House Bill 805 policies, we must consider possible ramifications or success stories that could be a result of this new policy. Contrary to the risk of narrow exposure to a variety of texts, positive home-to-school relationships could also arise under this legislation. This action ultimately gives parents the power to approve or deny their child’s access to a substantial literacy education. What parents choose to do with this initiative will determine the likely outcomes of a lifelong literacy education.

References

Governor Stein takes action on 12 bills. (2025, July 3). NC Governor. https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2025/07/03/governor-stein-takes-action-12-bills

House Bill 805 / SL 2025-84 (2025-2026 session) – North Carolina General Assembly. (n.d.). https://ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/h805

Keith, R. (2025, August 29). NHCS teachers scramble to comply with new classroom library law. WHQR. https://www.whqr.org/local/2025-08-28/nhcs-teachers-scramble-to-comply-with-new-classroom-library-law

Keung Hui, T., & Guinassi, L. (2025, June 20). NC lawmakers could create religious exemptions policy for school assignments. The News & Observer. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article308920355.html

Rash, M., & Rash, M. (2024, August 2). ‘Dedication of our teachers’ praised in an update on the state’s science of reading journey. EdNC. https://www.ednc.org/dedication-of-our-teachers-praised-in-an-update-on-the-states-science-of-reading-journey/

Sarabi Kearney is a 25-year-old first-grade teacher currently residing in Greensboro, NC. She was born and raised in Vanceboro, NC and is a homegrown East Carolinian. Her passion lies in fostering a safe, culturally responsive learning environment for youth to thrive. She believes in implementing equitable teaching practices that support the development of each learner in meaningful and specific ways. She also believes that every child deserves access to high-quality literacy instruction, as it is the foundation for academic success and lifelong opportunity. 

What in the World Have you Been Doing?

Collaboration

By: Jeni Nix, SC School Librarian, and Rene Harris, SC Elementary School Principal

The Tale

There is a tale of a couple given a cruise as a wedding gift.  They were excited and grateful for the generous offering.  They embarked on the journey with great expectations. But once on the ship, their excitement and joy reversed mid-trip.  For most of the trip, they remained in their cabin. 

Photo by Arun Sharma on Unsplash

Near the cruise’s end, they met an elderly couple, and struck up a conversation comparing their impressions of their nautical excursions. The honeymoon couple shared how boring the trip had been, even expressing disappointment. But the elderly couple told how invigorated and engaged their experience had been, looking forward to the opportunity to travel this way again. Intrigued and perplexed by the evaluation of the honeymoon couple, they asked a series of questions. Did you go to the Deserted Island Luau party? Had you enjoyed the night of games in the Vegas lounge? Wasn’t the tropical water slide with exotic drinks at the pool bar amazing? The honeymooners looked at each other with puzzled faces. The wife spoke first and explained that they hadn’t experienced any of these events.  The husband chimed in that they were unaware that these activities were options, and questioned the cost of the happenings.  

The elderly couple now looked at each other with puzzled faces and smiled.  The wife spoke first, “There was no extra cost, these things were included in the cruise package.”  

“What in the world have you been doing!” the elderly man blurted out in confusion. 

The young couple’s embarrassment was evident. “Well, we’ve mostly been eating, sleeping, and walking along the edge of the ship.” That’s when it dawned on the seasoned pair that the honeymooners had never ventured beyond the edge, never explored the inside of the boat, or pursued all of the amenities their trip had offered. 

The Practice

As a young child, I loved to write but hated to read. I spent my entire youthful career on the edge of books, only walking among the book jackets and back covers, creating book reports and projects from a few marketing ads and summaries.  Cliff was my BFF.  It wasn’t until I was required to take the obligatory “Children’s Literature” course in grad school that I got to experience the joy and delight that an excellent book offers. 

The Secret Garden

As the instructional leader, I want to ensure that no child is left behind on the shore or in their cabin. I am honored to work with talented teachers who embrace our mission to promote reading as a pathway to success. Our explicit, overt attempts to celebrate reading as a choice versus chore have been productive and positive.  While I operate at the helm, standing in the bridge of the ship, our media center is the deck of our vessel with exponential and far-reaching impact. 

Our library is the center of our boat, helping us to enjoy a multitude of amenities propelled by its creativity and spirit.  Our book vending machine, reading lounge, Palmetto Shore amphitheater, and secret garden are all extensions of the media center and its strategies for promoting reading for enjoyment.  Icons of “what teachers are reading now” and endorsements of great reads, monthly celebrations of Terrific Readers are all portholes and pathways to the most happening place aboard our ship.  I may be the captain, but I know who is driving this rusty bucket… the Media Specialist.

Book Vending Machine

We strive to work together to create a print-rich environment where literacy is organically infused into our learning community. We strive to move away from extrinsic motivational tricks or reading tallies for counting’s sake. We model the importance of reading by being explicit about the value and joy of reading. As we cruise through our reading quest, we strive to ensure that every child enjoys the amenities along the way, so that reading is more than a rudimentary process, and becomes a lifelong pleasure. 

As my principal so eloquently painted the picture of a childhood spent on the periphery of the journey to immersing herself in a good book it reminds me of the fact that the library fills many different roles in our students’ lives. No matter what the reason for visiting, the library is a safe haven for all children. 

Reading Buddies

Before the pandemic, our students would come in daily seeking a variety of things. Some would be there because they were told to come and it was my challenge to lead them to the book that would finally make a trip to the library a treat instead of a mandate. For others, it was a place they sought out for their next adventure or to find a character or scenario that made them feel a little less alone. A place where they could see themselves between the pages and know there was someone in the world that saw what they saw or felt what they felt. That is why it’s more important now than ever before to strive for inclusive collections that equally represent all of the diversity in the students and families that we serve. 

In addition, librarians need to continue reaching out to students through social media outlets, and other platforms, to share new books and help them find the truth in the barrage of information coming at them every day. Our roles may have temporarily changed physical location but the importance and impact of the services we provide as librarians is more important than ever before. 

About the Authors

Mrs. Rene Wyatt Harris, Principal- Beech Hill Elementary School Rene has thirty-two years of teaching experience and is the principal of Beech Hill Elementary School.

Mrs. Jeni Nix, Media Specialist- Beech Hill Elementary Jeni has 25 years in education, as a teacher and a librarian in Dorchester District Two Schools. This Nationally-Board certified teacher is serving as the 2020-2021 SCASL School Librarian of the Year.