2/26/2024 Regular Meeting & New Library Policy

The regular school board meeting began at 5:30pm with all members present. Superintendent Elstad recognized Owatonna students during Mission Moment. Two students are recognized as ExCEL Award nominees and two students are recognized as Triple A Award nominees. Great work students!

No one presented for Public Forum.

The enrollment report was reviewed with no significant changes or comments.

Members presented during Board Forum noting opening weekend of our high school’s musical Newsies, and great performances that entertained many in our new Wenger Performing Arts Auditorium. Committee meeting minutes were reviewed from the most recent meetings of the Facility and Policy committees with no comments or questions. Our student representatives noted recent events including speech team tournaments.

Superintendent Elstad gave the Administrative Report, mentioning the second Input Team meeting on 2/20/2024 for the K-5 attendance boundary changes and the upcoming special work session for the school board to review and discuss these plans: 4:30-6pm at the district office on 3/5/2024. Mr. Elstad is also working with the legislation to try and lessen the tax burden for Owatonna citizens. He will testify soon. Plus, there is work in progress for an amendment to the School Resource Officer legislation passed last year. He will spend time in St. Paul next week for “Day at the Capitol.” Mrs. Julie Sullivan gave a brief update on the American Indian Education plan. We have 10 students in our district with Native American heritage and after reaching out to those families, one parent came forward to work with the district. They are working to schedule a meeting soon. There is no state funding if a district has less than 20 Native American students.

The Consent Agenda was approved with a 7-0 vote and included the meeting minutes from 1/22/2024 and 2/12/2024, the disbursement reports, and the personnel report.

Two policies were reviewed. There is a link to each policy on the meeting agenda: https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1055?meeting=620607. The graduation requirements changed slightly due to 2023 legislation and our policy #613 was updated to reflect those changes. The new Library Policy #606.5 was presented for a second reading and vote. My concerns with the policy as it is currently written is that it’s too generalized and vague, there is not enough accountability, and the school board is not involved in any of the processes of material selection or material reconsideration/appeals. Please understand that it is not my intention to “ban books” or to limit anyone’s access to books, but rather to provide guidelines for book and material selection for public school (emphasis on public school, my opinion in this regard is not for any other public entity including the city library or bookstores.)

Our Electronic Technologies Acceptable Use policy, #524, has more specific well-defined guidelines for what our students are not allowed to access:

V. UNACCEPTABLE USES… A. …the following uses of the District’s Electronic Technologies and Internet resources or accounts are considered to be unacceptable:

1. Users will not use the School District system to access, review, upload,
   download, store, print, post, receive, transmit or distribute:
   a. pornographic, obscene or sexually explicit material or other visual
   depictions that are harmful to minors;
   b. obscene, abusive, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory,
   threatening, disrespectful, or sexually explicit language;
   c. materials that use language or images that are inappropriate in the
   education setting or disruptive to the educational process;
   d. information or materials that could cause damage or danger of disruption to the educational process e. materials that use language or images that advocate illegal or dangerous acts or that advocate violence or discrimination toward other people (hate literature) or that may constitute harassment or discrimination.

VI. FILTER… …A. The technology protection measures utilized will block or filter Internet access to any visual depictions that are:

1. Obscene in nature;
2. Contain child pornography;
3. Violent; or
4. Harmful to minors.

B. The term “harmful to minors” means any picture, image, graphic image file, or
other visual depiction that

1. Taken as a whole and with respect to minors, appeals to a prurient interest in
   nudity, sex, or excretion; or
2. Depicts, describes, or represents, in a patently offensive way with respect to
   what is suitable for minors, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact,
   actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or a lewd exhibition of the
   genitals; and
3. Taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as
   to minors.

I asked to include some of this language into the library policy and possibly also the instructional materials (curriculum) policy. This request was denied on the basis of the school board’s role being governance, not management. (However, I would further argue that policy is to give guidelines and regulations so that the district can apply and manage by those guidelines and regulations.)

In the most recent revision of this policy, the policy committee decided to remove the phrase, “with recognition that the school board has the final authority on selection of library materials.” Therefore, the school board will have no direct action into any of the processes involving library materials. I still believe that this lacks accountability, both on the part of the board who is liable for the activities of the district (we will have no idea if there are any problems, questions, or concerns with library materials), and the selection of materials is left solely to the librarians and district media specialist. While these staff have training in education and access to resources that aid them in choosing appropriate materials, the policy is so vague that it leaves much to personal opinion and choice on behalf of the staff. If a parent chooses to pursue a formal reconsideration request of any library material, “The Superintendent or the superintendent’s designee shall appoint a Library Materials Reconsideration Committee per request.” Again, the superintendent is appointing the committee and only per request. The committee does not include any school board members and yet it does include the district media specialist who was likely already consulted in the initial informal request and this is why the request has moved to an appeal/formal process. The reason given for not including school board members in any of this policy’s processes was that there are several others involved, ultimately the superintendent, who reports to the school board. At this point, I’m not sure how the board will know if this, or any policy for that matter, is effective and working the way it is intended to.

As I stated in Monday’s meeting, I believe that we all desire to protect and keep our students safe in school and beyond. When I was asked who I was trying to protect, at first I was confused why this was asked, and I answered, “Children.” Maybe I am still misunderstood. Each child does have a different story, some stories are very difficult or hurtful. My desire is to protect, especially considering the child who is struggling with depression anxiety, then they read about a hanging suicide, and are now considering this themselves. Or the child who is hurting, reads about drug use, and now seeks to find their own escape. Or the child who lives in a conservative home (of Muslim or Christian faith) and they are questioning who God/Allah made them to be, then they read about LGBTQ lifestyles and now are even more confused and question who to trust. One developmental aspect that makes teenagers higher risk is their greater tendency to be impulsive. Also, the fact that our human brains are not fully developed (reasoning and executive functions) until we are in our mid-twenties has to remind us that children’s brains and cognitive development needs to be protected and guarded, and those same children should not have that responsibility upon themselves. As adults, this is our responsibility.

For all of these reasons, I could not approve this policy as it is currently written and thus voted no in a 6-1 vote for policy 606.5. You can find the 9-minute discussion in the video, go to minute 17:45 if desired: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmu27RP9vmY&list=PL7udvyWfNrd3ROTWcu7VO0Vt0NPX_ae51&index=6

Other votes during Monday’s meeting included the approval of an amended 2024-2025 school calendar to allow for The READ Act teacher training, the purchase of district land near the highway, the Ratification of the 2023-2025 Tentative Agreement with Special Education Paraprofessionals, the extended trip request for French classes to travel to Quebec City and Montreal, and gifts to the district.

Meeting adjourned.

Additionally, I’ve had many conversations over the past few weeks with parents, grandparents, staff, teachers, and principals. I appreciate all of these conversations as we work together to make Owatonna the best school district in Minnesota! Thank you!

Soli Deo Gloria.