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Hundreds of community comments urge St. Francis board to revise book review policy
Summary
Dozens of students, parents, clergy and library professionals urged the St. Francis Area Schools Board of Education to reverse or revise a new book review policy they say limits students' access to diverse literature and risks legal and financial fallout.
Dozens of students, parents, clergy and library professionals told the St. Francis Area Schools Board of Education on April 14 that a recently adopted book-review policy has removed books from school shelves and risks harming students academically, socially and emotionally.
The comments came during the meeting's public-comment period, which the board opened for 19 speakers. They said the district's new policy relies on an outside website for recommendations, bypasses local educators, and could expose the district to costly litigation.
Why it matters: Speakers said the policy affects curriculum and classroom instruction, student mental health and the district's reputation in the housing market and teacher recruitment. Several students and recent graduates described books as lifelines and urged the board to restore librarian and teacher discretion.
Students and alumni recounted how assigned and library books expanded their worldview and prepared them for college and life. "These books teach all about the real and dynamic world," said Nathaniel Lesvold, identified as a senior at St. Francis High School and student council president. He told the board that titles used in AP Literature, including Fahrenheit 451, Slaughterhouse-Five and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, are among the most challenged in the nation and are important to higher-level coursework.
Several student speakers said removing works such as The Handmaid's Tale and other challenged titles is "telling us that our curiosity is dangerous." Jack Sordahl, a student, said banning the novel "wasn't protecting students" but instead silenced material that helped him think about freedom and rights.
Library and legal concerns: A speaker who identified themself as a Minnesota library media professional and as the intellectual freedom chair-elect of the Minnesota Library Association urged the board to follow Minnesota statute 134.51 and to ensure decisions about collections are made by qualified library professionals and a community of reviewers rather than by unilateral administrative action. The speaker said libraries should reflect a broad range of community perspectives and that readers and families, not an anonymous outside site, should determine educational suitability.
Other commenters warned of litigation costs. One resident cited national reporting that legal fights over book challenges have cost districts millions. Another resident said the policy has already prompted at least two lawsuits and urged the board to adopt a "sensible legal policy" that would reduce taxpayer exposure.
Religious and community perspectives: Pastors and other residents framed their opposition in religious terms and called for compassion in public discussion. Denise Hanson, identified as pastor at St. Francis United Methodist Church, said religious teaching calls for compassion and urged the board not to "whitewash" students' lived experience.
Supporters of local control and professional standards: Several parents, retired teachers and community members asked the board to return selection authority to local librarians and educators, not an external website. Betsy Roxas, who said she taught in the district for 25 years, said relying on an anonymous outside source to curate school collections is inappropriate and urged reversal of the policy.
Board response and next steps: The board thanked speakers and closed public comment after the scheduled speakers finished. During the remainder of the meeting the board continued with the consent agenda and action items; members referenced the public input in later discussion but did not vote on a specific change to the book-review policy that night.
Ending: Multiple speakers asked the district to restore access and to place collection decisions with licensed library media specialists and educators. The board listed upcoming work-session topics including student-assessment data, curriculum and policy reviews; no formal change to the book-review policy was made at the April 14 meeting.
