Trustees at the Windsor Unified School District meeting on Jan. 17 agreed to place reconsideration of their prior decision to prevent the novel Scythe from tenth‑grade build‑core instruction on the board agenda for Feb. 19, after an extended public‑comment period in which teachers, students and parents urged the board to reverse course.

Teachers and students described the classroom context in which Scythe would be taught and asked the board to trust teachers’ professional judgment. Teacher Laurie Lucas said the earlier board discussion had been “shocking, disrespectful, close minded, and dismissive,” and argued that educators had vetted the book and would support students through difficult material. A Windsor High student, Tegan McCoy, told trustees, “I ask you, the school board, to please trust your students whom you sit on this board to protect. Trust us to interpret things on our own. Trust Julie Forrest to know her students.”

The public presenters emphasized that the book had gone through site‑council and curricular review before reaching the board and noted the district’s existing opt‑out process. Several speakers urged a narrower path forward: either approve the book as presented or clarify the approval process so teachers can propose contemporary texts without encountering the same obstacles.

During board discussion trustees debated whether to wait for a full policy workshop or act sooner on the single curriculum item. Trustee Bill Adams said he would “ask that we put [reconsideration] on the Feb. 19 board meeting,” a position that found at least one second from a colleague. The board directed the superintendent and curriculum staff to meet with English‑department leaders to identify practical companion or alternative readings for students who opt out and to draft any modest policy clarifications that could be considered alongside the reconsideration vote.

The board and superintendent emphasized that the process the district follows for instructional materials will be examined in a forthcoming workshop; trustees asked staff to prioritize preparing a concise set of options so the board can act in a timely way. The superintendent said he and staff would work with department chairs to return with recommended language and possible companion titles.

If the board formally reconsiders and approves Scythe, staff and the teacher leading the course will coordinate with students on pacing and implementation; trustees noted classroom timing constraints and offered the option to hold a special meeting if the board opts to act sooner than Feb. 19.

Next steps: the board will have an item to reconsider Scythe on the Feb. 19 agenda (or sooner if a special session can be scheduled), and staff will bring proposals for companion materials and any limited policy adjustments intended to clarify the opt‑out/alternative‑assignment process.