BH BOARD TALKS LIBRARY POLICIES, HEARS PUBLIC

    At Monday’s Britton-Hecla Board of Education meeting, several community members spoke during the open forum.
    Tim Tracy raised two issues: he asked the board to consider livestreaming meetings and expressed concerns about changes to the Selection and Review of Library Media policy. He said he thinks it’s premature to make changes to the Selection and Review of Library Media Revision policy as legislation that is being considered (HB 1239) may make changes necessary. (See story on pg. 10 regarding this legislation)
    Jeanne Ahlgren thanked the school for offering an opt-out form for the Sora eBook service but voiced concerns about transparency regarding inappropriate material. She noted that not all books added to the service are vetted, making it difficult for parents and community members to monitor content.
    Emily Taylor, a parent of three students in the district, shared disappointment over how teachers and staff were scrutinized at the January meeting. She stated her complete trust in the teachers regarding safety and library materials, emphasizing that it’s her role as a parent to discuss content with her children. “I have never, ever questioned whether my children are safe when they walk through these doors,” she added.    
    Mary Satterlee urged the board to consider a discussion-based format for meetings, as the current open forum structure does not allow for direct communication between differing viewpoints.
    The board approved two revisions to Policy 6032 on the Selection and Review of Library Media. The first amendment added a ‘library material review committee’ alongside the superintendent for reviewing materials. The second addressed external eBook vendors, stating that their content is not part of Britton-Hecla’s library collection. The policy now states:
    “eBook libraries from external vendors are not part of Britton-Hecla’s library materials and as such Britton-Hecla is not responsible for the content found there. If the eBook vendor has the capability to do so, Britton-Hecla will make a reasonable effort to control access based on age and to review books upon request according to the process described in this policy.”
    Board member Audrey Schuller took exception to the part about B-H not being responsible for the vendor’s content. She brought up several examples of what she deems as unacceptable material on Sora, the eBook service. “Why are we accepting a vendor that is bring in poison to our school?,” she asked and added that she finds the Sora library to be “a pipeline for one way of thinking.” Superintendent Steve Benson countered that removing the service based on a small percentage of flagged books was not the answer and noted he was reviewing concerning titles. It was also noted that the policy could be revised again later based on what happens in the legislature. Schuller voted against the amendment, while all other board members supported it.
    In staffing matters, Benson noted that they would soon be advertising for a new kindergarten teacher as 36 kids had recently attended kindergarten screening. Currently, there is only one section of kindergarten. The board also accepted the resignations of nutrition staff members Carol Beck and Paula Olson.
    Benson reported on various legislative matters, including municipal election date changes and policies related to bathroom and locker room use for transgender individuals. He also expressed concern that the state’s proposed 1.25% increase in the education budget remains unchanged.
    The school board election date was moved to June 17. The next meeting is scheduled for April 14.