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Germantown launches yearlong inventory and curation of school libraries after DPI complaint; district to report results in May

Germantown School District Board of Education · January 21, 2026
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Summary

Following a citizen complaint to the Department of Public Instruction, Germantown administrators said they will inventory and audit all library collections across six buildings, using digital tools and grade-band alignment reviews to identify gaps or age-inappropriate items. The district said it has provided DPI documentation but that the complaint remains open because of DPI staffing turnover and lack of response from the complainants.

The Germantown School District on Tuesday outlined a yearlong process to inventory and review library materials across all six district libraries after the district received a formal complaint from a local parent group and discussed the complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

Scope and process: Director-level staff and school librarians will inventory every item in school collections (print, digital and media) and import records into a cataloging system to run collection-analysis tools. The planned cycle begins with inventorying and verification (scanning each item) and proceeds to grade-band alignment checks, circulation analysis and a recommended selection/weeding list. Staff expect to begin major inventory work in March and produce a high-level report to the board in May.

Review criteria: District staff listed criteria they will use when assessing items, including developmental suitability, curricular and contextual relevance, content flags (graphic sexual material, graphic violence, hate speech or discriminatory content, illegal substance portrayal without context), physical condition, and circulation frequency. Librarians will flag items for relocation, replacement, or removal and propose purchases to fill identified gaps.

Why it matters: The review responds to a DPI complaint alleging library collections are not representative of all students. District administrators said they supplied DPI with required documentation and that DPI agreed the districtmaterials and plans on file meet statutory requirements, but the complaint remains unresolved due to DPI staff turnover and a lack of response from the complainants. "We provided them all the due information to show that we are in compliance," an administrator said.

Roles and transparency: Librarians, principals and curriculum staff will review results before the district-level cabinet validates recommendations; the board will receive a public summary at the conclusion of the cycle. Administrators said the work aims not only to remove inappropriate items but also to identify gaps and strengthen collections (for example, adding updated nonfiction on science and technology) and to establish an annual maintenance cycle for library collections.

Public engagement: The district said it will follow its established reconsideration process for any individual challenges and will provide opportunities for stakeholders to review summaries of findings when the process concludes.