GREENE — A parent of an 11th grade student at Leavitt Area High School expressed concerns about library materials during Thursday’s Maine School Administrative District 52 board of directors meeting at Greene Central School.
“I just wanted to make everybody kind of aware, because I don’t think they’re aware of the kind of pornographic literature that (is) in the libraries,” said Christine Duplissis of Leeds, adding that she intended to read an excerpt from one book.
Chairwoman Elizabeth Bullard told Duplissis that the best way to share her concerns with the district is to read the policy on challenging education materials and submit the appropriate form to school administrators.
“That’s the best way to approach it because then I can make sure we’re addressing each of those (concerns) in the same manner,” Bullard said.
Duplissis and Superintendent Cari Medd swapped email addresses following the exchange.
Afterward, Jimmy Childs of Leeds questioned when society had become accepting to “maybe some pornographic literature in our schools.” He largely spent the public comment period describing his beliefs on transgender children.
“DNA, biology, you can’t change that,” he said, later adding that “changing (a child’s) gender is a form of child abuse.” However, he noted that anyone over 18 is free to do whatever they want.
In other news, Leavitt was recognized for the second time as a Special Olympics Unified Champion National School. It is the only school in Maine to receive this distinction twice, Medd said to applause from the board and audience.
“(Leavitt) continues to be a model school for creating a community of inclusion,” Medd said.
The district has 13 educational technician vacancies, down from 15, according to Medd. She added that the district continues to search for other staff members, including one primary school teacher in Turner, two adult education instructors, a social worker and a dean of students at Leavitt.
The board additionally voted to accept a $59,000 donation from the Suzanne and Galen Cole Donor Advised Fund to help pay for training for instructional coaches, including comprehensive literacy training at the University of Maine, and an $800 donation to Leeds Central School from the Maine Community Foundation Literacy Fund.
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