Resident urges return of removed books, calls for fair valedictorian calculation

During the meeting’s public comment period, Greta Schumacher, who identified herself as a Bellbrook resident with two children in the district, urged the board to restore books removed from the Bellbrook Middle School collection and proposed an opt‑in/opt‑out policy so families can choose whether their child is exposed to certain titles.

"Reading actually helps you with stress. It can decrease stress by 68%," Schumacher said, and argued that books featuring diverse characters help students develop empathy. She asked the district to consider moving some previously removed titles back into middle‑school circulation under a parental opt‑in system.

Earlier in the agenda a board member raised a separate but related item about how the district calculates valedictorian and salutatorian standings. She said current practice for senior‑year seventh‑semester GPA excludes seventh‑semester grades from year‑long classes and presented comparisons from nearby districts, including guidance counselors at Beavercreek and Kettering.

The board member requested administration consider changing the calculation so year‑long course grades are included in the seventh‑semester GPA (and noted some districts determine valedictorian at the end of the eighth semester). The board indicated Mr. Han will present on the topic at a future meeting to answer questions.

No formal action on book‑selection policy or valedictorian calculation was taken at the meeting; the board requested follow‑up and additional materials from administration.