Bellbrook-Sugarcreek delays high school library while administrators implement new parents’ bill-of-rights policy

At a public meeting, the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Local School District Board of Education and district administrators outlined why the high school library remained unavailable to students while staff review materials to comply with Board Policy 5780, the district’s implementation of the state-level “parents’ bill of rights” directives.

Board President Kevin Price said the board adopted Policy 5780 in April after two readings and public comment and that the policy includes a district-level definition of “inherently private sexual content.” Superintendent Dr. Kozad told the board he had instructed administrators to implement the policy and that the delayed opening of the high school library was intended to allow staff time to review collections and set procedures before releasing materials to students.

The issue dominated public input. Parents, teachers and students described operational problems and urged a faster reopening. Meredith Breininger, a Bellbrook resident and parent, told the board that “no student should have to feel physically squeezed into a desk and mentally self conscious about this,” calling for attention to classroom furniture and to library access. Jenna Bowles, who has a master’s degree in library and information science and formerly reviewed…