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Residents press Franklin County school board on library titles, recurring deficits and transparency
Summary
Public commenters raised concerns about LGBT-themed books in high school libraries and asked the board for clearer, historic reporting on repeated budget shortfalls; the board received written remarks and committed to follow-up.
Four members of the public addressed the Franklin County School Board during the public-comment period, urging more transparency about recurring budget shortfalls and raising concerns about specific library materials.
Kathy Meckley told the board she had reviewed the high school library website and believed it listed 89 "LGBT plus" titles, including 31 books she described as specific to transgenderism. She urged the board to reinstate a policy to allow citizens to challenge books and asked the district to review recently added titles. "It is my hope that this current school board will finally rid our libraries of such material," Meckley said during her three-minute comment.
Other speakers focused on budget issues. Holly Willard, a Franklin County resident and parent, described confusion she had encountered about the FY25 budget and said a one-time funding treatment had made the budget look balanced on paper while masking recurring obligations. Amos Denton urged the board to "fix this mess," citing per-student cost figures and worrying that cuts could affect raises and bus routes. Donna Cosmado (provided written remarks) asked a list of systems-focused questions: how many recent fiscal years ended with deficits, what corrective steps were adopted, what controls govern one-time revenues, and what early-warning indicators exist for budget drift.
Board members and staff did not offer immediate policy changes in response during the meeting but took questions and noted staff will provide further reconciliations and documentation. "These questions are not about fault. They are about systems, transparency, and trust," Cosmado told the board and said she had provided a written copy for the public record.
The board’s subsequent budget discussion and adopted deficit-reduction measures were scheduled to be discussed with county officials at a joint meeting on Jan. 22.
