At the special board meeting on August 29, 2023, the Cameron, Missouri board of education voted to rescind the policy KLB AP-1, which gave the community the ability to challenge a book inside the district as inappropriate. The district no longer has any obligation to even look into the matter or even review a book which concerns a parent or member of the community. It is now entirely at the boards discretion to decide if a book concerns them enough to order the district to review it.
This board of education has not taken a single meaningful step to remove or even restrict the most sexually explicit books which we have shared with them. Their only response is to give us platitudes about “diversity” and being inclusive. What are the chances that they will take any future concerns seriously?
Of additional concern, the board amended board policy BDDH-1in March in a way which allows them to restrict any speaker from discussing any topic which has been discussed previously within the last 90 days. The board of education will only allow the community to ask their majesties if they will consider allowing us to express our concerns about one of 33,000 plus books 4 times a year. And if you are given the privilege of addressing their high court, they are not obligated to even look into your concern.
This isn’t a body which is accountable to the people.
The Cameron , MO board of education has called a special board of education meeting for the evening of August 29, 2023 at 7 PM in the Goodrich boardroom. You can view the agenda for that meeting on the district website. The building is located at 423 N Chestnut in Cameron, MO.
There will be a public participation period during this meeting. Members of the public will be granted 3 minutes to address the board. This will occur after the board discussion on Policy consideration.
There are 5 items on the agenda under Policy Considerations. They are:
- Suspending/Rescinding Board Policy KL Public Concerns and Complaints
- Suspending/Rescinding Board Policy KLB – Public Questions, Comments or Concerns regarding district instructional/ media libraries
- Suspending/Rescinding/Amending Board Policy KLB-AP1
- Utilizing Internal Review Policy IIAC-R1
- Parent restriction of library materials authorization process/form
I have serious concerns about the parent restriction of library materials form the district is using. I discussed it recently in one of our YouTube videos.