Following the adoption of a policy limiting explicit content in library books, the Upper Adams School Board is weighing how to apply the same parameters to classroom resources.
On Tuesday, the board broached the first read of Policy 109 regarding classroom materials. Like the library book restrictions approved in February under Policy 109.1, Policy 109 seeks to avoid classroom materials with “sexually explicit content” and “excessive profanity,” according to board documents.
While board members did not debate the content restrictions Tuesday, there was confusion over whether the proposed revision to Policy 109 would require teachers to inventory all of their classroom materials.
Policy committee chair Susan Crouse said the teachers association conducted a survey of its members regarding the potential impact of the proposed changes. Survey feedback was recently shared with the board after the May 1 policy committee meeting.
Policy committee member Kay Hollabaugh said she would like to revisit the proposed changes to Policy 109 with this new feedback in mind. She said it would be a “huge disservice to them” not to read what the teachers had to say and take it into consideration.
The teacher survey results were not publicly available as of Tuesday’s meeting, but interim Superintendent Don Bell said an overview would be shared at the next meeting in August.
Policy committee member Marya Djalal said she appreciated the teachers’ feedback greatly but feels there is a misunderstanding.
“What it seems to me is the real crux of the issue is teachers worried about having to catalogue every single resource before it being used,” Djalal said. “That has not been proposed.”
The proposed policy states that the “superintendent and/or a designee shall develop selection procedures which…insure an inventory of classroom resource materials.”
Joseph Albin, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, said the proposed language could imply that all classroom materials would need to be inventoried — which he said would be quite the lengthy list. Albin said it might not be “realistic” to expect teachers to know the details of every single book in their rooms. Some teachers, he said, have large classroom libraries that students may browse and borrow from independently.
Albin said the policy committee could revisit the language in the proposed policy to make the inventory guidelines clearer.
Board member Tricia Plank said the core issue is regarding the parameters on explicit content. She believes the policies surrounding library materials and classroom materials “should be consistent across the board.”
Plank recounted an experience in which her daughter encountered a book she found to be inappropriate.
“I had an eighth grader who had to read a book about oral sex. That should never have happened,” Plank said. “There is a problem that books like that are in the classroom and parents are unaware.”
Upper Adams Middle School Principal Shane Brewer said the book was not required reading but a suggested book for that student’s reading level.
“The point is…that book was one that was selected for her to read as an eighth grader that detailed sexually explicit material. That is the problem,” Plank said. “I was supposed to trust the teacher.”
After discussion, Crouse said the policy committee would revisit Policy 109 at its next meeting, Aug. 7 at 9 a.m.
In other business Tuesday, the board unanimously adopted the 2025-2026 budget with no tax increase. The fiscal year 2026 revenues are projected to be more than $36.2 million while expenditures are expected to be just over $38 million.
The budget approval hit a snag when it came to approving $35,000 to start a girls wrestling team. Board member Gerald Walmer doubted whether there is enough student interest to warrant starting a separate girls team. Currently, girls can wrestle on the boys team.
After some discussion, the board agreed to approve the budget for the girls team, but the start of the team will be dependent on a review by the extra-curricular committee. If the board does not authorize the program, then the funds for the girls team will be absorbed into the 2025-2026 budget.
Tuesday marked Bell’s last board meeting as interim superintendent. Todd Dishong will begin his role as superintendent on July 1.
Upper Adams School Board will next meet July 15 at 7 p.m.