On Thursday, a Pine-Richland School Board meeting lasted seven hours as members discussed book bans and book review policies. The board met to review its “Library Resources Policy”.
A possible change to a book policy in Pine Richland has some parents concerned about the impact this could have on students and what they are or are not exposed to with their education. @KDKA pic.twitter.com/I8QP3TRi7y
— Chris Hoffman (@NewsmanChris) January 9, 2025
Sparks flew at the meeting, with audience members shouting and board members arguing with each other over a policy that would give the school board power over the acquisition and consideration of books in the district, including whether to remove them. The current policy allows parents to challenge a book’s inclusion in the library.
Tara Niesslein, who has a third and sixth grader in the district, said she voted for some of the board members whose views she now opposes. She worries about the district’s “educational integrity” and the potential for lawsuits should the board attempt to remove books from its schools. She spoke at the meeting, saying, “It takes a lot to get the continued attention of moderate voters like me, but we are listening, paying attention and ready to vote.”
The district formed a committee for the review of 14 books challenged by parents in 2023, many of which centered around LGBTQ characters. Superintendent Brian Miller recommended that the books remain in schools.
The policy change under consideration would shift the authority to ban certain books in district schools from the superintendent to the school board. Those at Thursday’s meeting argued over the wording and goals of the policy, and some expressed concerns over its vagueness.
At the meeting, Miller said, “Not every book in the library needs to be educationally suitable or developmentally relevant for every child.”
The topic may be back on the table for discussion at the board’s next meeting.
