Board denies petition requesting hearing on library materials, urges use of grievance and reconsideration policies

The Sheridan County School District #2 Board of Trustees voted May 12 to deny a petition and request for a hearing over library materials. Trustees said the document did not meet the legal or policy threshold for a hearing under the district process and urged use of established reconsideration and grievance procedures instead.

Trustee Moore explained that the petition did not allege actions that would trigger a hearing under state statute or Board policy (for example, employee terminations or student suspensions) and therefore did not qualify for the procedure the petitioner invoked. "The issues and concerns highlighted in the petition do not satisfy the legal requirements for a hearing under state statute or our district policy," Moore said, adding that the relevant district policies for the concerns raised are the grievance policy JII and the library material reconsideration policy IJL.

Trustee Perkins and other board members suggested the petitioner pursue the existing step‑by‑step processes for grievances and reconsideration of materials. Trustee Lansing asked that policy IGA (instructional materials review) be placed on the next board agenda for review to ensure clarity about how materials are chosen and reviewed.

Trustee Ramberg said he understood the parent's concerns and urged the district to ensure its library collections represent balanced perspectives; he said he would like the board to address the broader question of how balance and review are implemented in practice.

The motion to deny the petition passed. Trustees stressed that denying the petition was not the same as dismissing the underlying concerns and asked staff to review policy language and procedures so parents and staff have a clear route for formal reconsideration or grievance.