Parents urge Rocklin Unified to add large‑print library books and reconsider classroom screen use

During the public comment period several parents raised community concerns.

Laura Griffin, a Rocklin parent, told the board her fourth‑grade child has a significant vision impairment and said school and public libraries in the county lacked appropriately large‑print books. She urged the district to purchase large‑print titles and coordinate with Placer County and the district librarian to create a system so visually impaired students can access materials at multiple schools rather than rely on one‑off purchases. "We're asking that you guys purchase books for the visually impaired... There should be a library book system with visually impaired books for children," Griffin said.

Trustees and district staff responded on the record. The board referred Griffin to Dr. McDonald (district staff) to follow up and a trustee who serves on the Placer County Library Advisory Board offered to help investigate county‑level options.

Mike McCracken, a parent with children in the district, urged the board to consider removing screen devices from classrooms, saying studies show increased classroom screen use can harm student performance and cognitive development; he offered to work with the board to research the issue. The board thanked both speakers and invited them to leave contact information for follow‑up.

What happens next: district staff (Dr. McDonald and the district librarian) and trustee representatives will follow up with parents about large‑print collections and county library coordination; the board encouraged written follow‑up from a parent who raised governance questions so staff can respond in detail.

Sources: public comment statements recorded in the board meeting transcript.