More fighting in Gilbert over those darn textbooks

Oh, good lord.

Just when it seemed like we might be able to finally put Gilbert's textbook redaction mess past us, it's gotten even more confusing.

Here's what we know: Superintendent Christina Kishimoto had a plan ready to present to the school board that would have waited to collect books until the end of the school year. A few science teachers would have decided how to do the redacting, and a team of paid teachers would have spent time over the summer doing the deed.

Kishimoto makes it clear in her plan that she'd rather not redact the books. There could be copyright and First Amendment issues that could lead to legal challenges, she notes, and teachers already feel demoralized about the board's lack of trust in their ability to explain human reproduction without violating a state law requiring that lessons emphasize birth over abortion.

But the school board did not discuss the process at Tuesday's meeting. And now, as best as I can divine, the whole thing is an open question mark that could extend into the coming year, when the new school board takes office.

So much for this week being the board's last big, crazy squabble.

Board president Staci Burk contends that the only time the board could have discussed or made changes to its previous decision was at that meeting. Robert's Rules and board policy prevent it. So, she says, the decision to redact stands and will be carried out as outlined in Kishimoto's yet-to-be-discussed plan. The Republic obtained a copy via a public-information request.

The only way to overturn the decision, Burk noted in an e-mail to reporters, would be by a supermajority vote -- which is highly improbable given the current board makeup and unlikely to be successful in January when a new member joins.

On the other hand, board member Jill Humpherys says the agenda was purposefully changed at the last minute to prevent discussion, which is why she voted to postpone the debate. A lot of finger pointing between Humpherys and Burk occurred on Humpherys' school-board candidate Facebook page, though Burk's comments have subsequently been deleted.

And as for when (or if) Kishimoto's plan will ever be debated, much less enacted? Yeah. Your guess is as good as mine.