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Parents press board on library transparency, DEI and budget cuts amid declining enrollment
Summary
During public comment, speakers urged greater library transparency and removal of DEI programming, and warned of long‑term enrollment decline and budget pressures; the board acknowledged the concerns and said administrators will follow up.
Several members of the public spoke during the allotted comment period. Vincent Manomar (S12) asked for more transparency about school library contents and said parents need to know what books are available. He referenced the book Heroine by Mindy McGinnis and urged better informed parental consent: "Informed consent only exists if the parents actually know what is in their children's libraries today." Manomar read passages from the book and said some content he quoted reads like an "instruction manual on drug use." No district response occurred during public comment; the board said the appropriate district representative would follow up with those who requested it.
Doug Lee (S5), a longtime meeting attendee, warned the board about falling enrollment (he stated current district enrollment as roughly 8,800 students) and urged immediate budget cuts to avoid closing buildings. He criticized PBIS as an unnecessary expense: "It's a complete waste of money," Lee said, and argued that lower enrollment demands spending restraint. Stephanie Boone (S10) urged the board to move quickly to remove DEI programming and materials and said she had emailed the superintendent about the district's approach. The board closed public comment and indicated staff would follow up with community members who requested it.
