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Parents and residents urge review of Pride materials; student asks that PSEO be weighted like AP
Summary
During public comment multiple residents criticized Pride-related coloring pages distributed at a district event and called for clearer communication; a Maple Grove senior requested that PSEO courses be weighted the same as AP for GPA calculations to promote equity.
Several members of the public addressed the board during the audience opportunity period on June 23, urging the district to review materials distributed at a May event and raising concerns about communication and curriculum neutrality.
Leandra Trotter, a district parent, told the board she experienced "poor and lacking" communication about LGBTQ programming and said, "I wanna be clear and transparent that our children are not a social experiment." She reported high opt-out numbers and asked the board to be "fully responsible for any repercussions that can result from this programming." Natalie Slonick, who identified herself as a Christian and district resident, criticized Pride-related coloring pages for presenting celebratory language and said schools should remain neutral on contested social issues while protecting all students from bullying.
Maria Kibin said the material that portrayed Western Europe and Christianity in a particular way was troubling given her family's history and said, "Words and images matter." On a separate public-comment topic, rising senior Mackenzie Locks presented a policy revision request to weight PSEO course grades on the same scale as Advanced Placement courses, arguing that PSEO is college-level coursework and that equal weighting promotes equity and affordability for lower-income and first-generation students. "PSEO course grades will be weighted on the same scale as advanced placement courses," she read as the proposed policy language.
Board members thanked speakers for their remarks and said the administration would look into the matters raised. The board did not take formal action on the public comments during the meeting; staff indicated topics would be reviewed as appropriate.
