What do Centre County school board candidates think about ‘book bans?’ Read their responses

The Centre Daily Times recently sent a survey to all school board candidates with questions about a number of issues, some of which were submitted by readers. Twenty-two candidates responded and 14 did not. We have published their unedited responses, which were limited to 1250 characters. We will publish additional responses in other stories.

What has long been a national discussion, talk of book banning has come to Centre County in recent months, with increased scrutiny on how and why library titles are chosen. Pennsylvania is no stranger to book challenges, ranking second in the nation in 2022 with 56 attempted bans and 302 title challenges.

The term “book ban” has also been contested, with some parents and candidates arguing the issue is about transparency around how content is chosen and what is appropriate for school libraries. Much of the discussion surrounding libraries in Centre County has boiled down to this question: Who should decide what books go into school libraries?

The Centre Daily Times asked candidates if they would support removing library titles or changing the catalog selection process. Their responses are below.

State College Area School District candidates

Amy Bader — Currently librarians, teachers, curriculum directors and administrators all contribute to the development of the district’s catalogue of books, including determining their best fit for various age groups — they are professionals trained for this task. A rigorous, high-quality review process is already available (Policy 109) regarding book reconsideration. This is a two-stage process that occurs first at the building level, which can then be appealed to a standing committee, whose recommendation goes to the Superintendent and the Board, and the Superintendent also makes their own recommendation. The standing committee includes parent representation, librarians, administrators, counselors and other experts. They must read and evaluate the literature for its value as a whole contributes to the school’s collection. This current process is excellent, in my opinion. Libraries should contain a diversity of choices, and parents have the ability to direct their children to refrain from particular subjects or titles. Libraries need to be both windows and mirrors — they allow us to see ourselves reflected, but also to view the world as others experience it.

Gretchen Brandt — No. Throughout my life I have supported and will continue to support professional educators to select library titles for all levels in the K-12 public school system. SCASD is incredibly fortunate to have stellar teachers, staff, and librarians, who are trained and educated in their areas of expertise. This includes the selection of book titles for all libraries in SCASD.

Anne Demo — No. As a para, I witnessed how crucial diverse book choices can be. Our librarians and teachers have years of expertise in selecting the book catalog, and I fully support their rigorous process. Families have the freedom to say they do not want their children reading certain books; they do not have the freedom to prevent other children in other families from reading them.

Barry Fenchak — There are approximately 10 million books in print in the US. Less than 1% of them are in our libraries. That does not mean that 99+% of books have been removed or “banned.” On this issue, and many others, we need to move past divisive rhetoric that sucks the air out of the room and shuts down reasoned conversation. Our libraries, obviously, must be curated. They should be curated by our library professionals with significant, deliberate input from our faculty — who know first-hand what resources they need to be successful in their challenging role as educators of our children. That is the most effective way to build our library inventory. Complimenting that effort (not conflicting with that effort) is the role of the family in assuring that materials are appropriate for their specific children. The parents need to be engaged and welcomed into the process of assuring that educational materials are appropriate for their child’s/family’s values. And their values and concerns need to be honored. They are our students to teach during the school day — but they are the family’s children to raise for life.

Daniel Kolbe — No I do not support removing library titles or changing the selection process. Libraries have a fundamental role in providing access to a wide range of materials, ensuring intellectual freedom and the right to read and explore different perspectives. I would prioritize protecting these principles. Along with ensuring intellectual freedom, librarians and educators play a critical role in library collections. I would rely on their professional expertise to make recommendations regarding catalog selection. Libraries should strive to provide a balanced and diverse collection of materials that reflects a wide range of perspectives and experiences. As a board member, my primary responsibility would be to ensure that the library serves the best interests of its students and that the library prioritizes the principles of intellectual freedom and inclusivity, so all students can find books that make them feel value, safe and seen.

John Kracovic — Books that some people find valuable for children should not be removed from our libraries. While parents of some students may look at these books as inappropriate for their children, other parents may view them as beneficial for theirs. It is important that every student can see someone like him or herself in their school reading material. Just as movies and video games have rating systems, our school library books should be evaluated and identified according to their age-appropriateness. There are laws concerning obscene materials that minors should not be permitted to view and those laws must be upheld. Materials determined to be obscene certainly should not be accessible to underage students through SCASD school libraries. For controversial material that is not deemed obscene, a rating system would enable our schools to implement a parental approval process to ensure that school materials align with the values and priorities of students’ families. I support making SCASD library collections fully transparent and available in their entirety online to district families. Intentional solicitation of input from diverse stakeholders would ensure that viewpoints across the political spectrum and other categories are represented.

Aaron Miller — No, I support neither of those things. The system we have works well and the materials in our libraries are selected for age-appropriateness and representation, not personal parental ideology. As a school director I intend to continue what has always been an effective library program. There are plenty of opportunities for parents to make choices along with their children about their own beliefs, values, and literary materials. They don’t need to be making those choices for me or for my children (or anyone else’s for that matter).

Michelle Young — This as an opportunity for the district to partner with families for a viable solution and transparent processes. I met with the district administrators and the library coordinator to discuss SCASD library policies, what processes existed, who made decisions, and what guidelines were followed. Librarians make decisions based on guidelines provided to them and their own judgment for age appropriate material (this is key) for each age group and not for individual students. As a parent, I know what is age appropriate for my child and that will be different from what another parent decides is appropriate for theirs. These differences in opinion must be respected. There is much more work to be done to improve this process and make it more transparent and easier for parents to partner in their kids’ education. I have requested to meet with this group again and hope to discuss a way ahead. In addition, I’d like to see MORE books in our libraries from MORE perspectives. For example, SCASD has Mr. Kendi’s books and other authors supporting Critical Social Justice but they only hold only one of 40 books by Thomas Sowell and no books by John McWhorter, Robert Woodson, or Glenn Loury…all authors with opposing viewpoints.

Nathan Bish and Megan Layng did not respond to the survey.

Bellefonte Area School District candidates

Jennifer Barnhart — It is important to note that books and all other information must be age and developmentally appropriate for our children. There are many things that go on in our world that at a young age can be described simply as “bad” with details to be kept for more appropriate time when comprehension allows them to be able to process and handle in a healthy manner. While I also am not in favor of banning books, certain restrictions must be put in place to validate when and where a child is ready for certain content. This is a battle that has become more and more difficult as we are able to obtain and share this information at our fingertips with cell phones, social media, etc. For our school libraries it is up to school staff to be aware of what the library has available at each level (elementary, middle school and high school).

Patrick Buck — It has become increasingly more common for schools to find themselves under a microscope for making inappropriate and sexualized materials accessible to their students. The school’s number one priority is to ensure students are provided an appropriate education that is focused on academics. Sexually explicit material should not be part of the curriculum, it is neither necessary nor appropriate. It is vital for the schools to be transparent regarding the content of the materials that are accessible and taught. Ensuring parent participation at the local level is essential to keeping library content age appropriate. In many cases, the content that has been highlighted in the national media was purposefully placed in schools as an attempt to indoctrinate and manipulate young, impressionable students. If inappropriate materials find their way into our public-school libraries, it is essential that that there is a thorough review of how that content was selected. In many cases people should be held accountable for their actions, if we do not begin to hold others to a higher standard, we will be unable to improve moving forward.

Paul Dombrowski — No, I will not support censoring titles or the catalog. As an Emeritus Professor of English, I know the power of the written words to shape lives and build a sense of self in a complex world. The school board takes great care in selecting our library professionals and staff, and we should rely on their professional judgment as to what is suitable and generally age-appropriate. This is an important matter of principle — to provide wide ranges of knowledge about people other than oneself and to comprehend the complexity of the modern world. To do otherwise is to have our students see the world through the blinders of the horse and buggy world, ignorant and sadly limited. Furthermore, it does not make sense to allow a single or a few voices to determine the reading possibilities for the entire student body. That would be like the tail wagging the dog. Parental control or influence should occur within the home. The board must be receptive to input from parents, of course, but should take pains to keep from giving undue attention to the loudest or most-moneyed voices.

Julie Fitzgerald — I think it is important to allow parents to have input on what is appropriate for their child. However, I also support educators and administrators to make the determinations on what materials are available in the library and classroom. It is a school board’s role to ensure that there are processes and policies in place that guide these decisions as well as steps for parents to follow should they wish to request alternative texts for their student.

Tim Kessling — W4B believes that banning books is not acceptable. However, the parents should have the right to refuse specific subject material at will. Parents are the first teacher and are always encouraged to ask questions about any type of reading material if any concerns arise. Currently, Bellefonte has a process in place where a permission slip is used to provide transparency to the student’s family about what they are reading. We also need to be cognizant of online material and do the best we can as parents and a school district to monitor what our kids are subject to routinely while within reason.

Darrell Sharp — When a book is clearly inappropriate for a given grade level, it has no valid educational purpose to be made available to students. Education professionals should be doing their due diligence to select appropriate and high quality books that meet educational needs. Parents should have access to review a list of books that are available and have a say on whether their child would have access to them. I think with the right style of communication, both parents and schools can work together to ensure quality, grade appropriate books are available at the libraries.

Donna Smith — Our media specialists are trained in the proper process for book selection. These professionals consider curriculum, suitability of subject and audience, critical reviews, award recipients, and recommendations by educational organizations. We should defer to our professionals. However, the Board has adopted policy 105.2 to ensure that parents/guardians have the right to have their children excused from specific instructional materials. Books that are concerning to individual parents may be brought to the attention of the appropriate school personnel for further consideration.

Kim Weaver — There have been widespread stories of public school book materials being inappropriate for specific age groups that have access to them. Banning books is not the answer to this controversial question because the information found in these books can also be found online. Books need to be age appropriate for students. Other school districts (including the Bellefonte Area School District) have implemented a permission slip process that provides transparency to a student’s family about what they are reading. Library catalogs should be transparent to the community, and a parent should have the right to refuse a specific subject or material for their child. Communication surrounding this topic is critical — we cannot have an honest and transparent discussion about age-appropriate materials if parents and the community are not aware of the materials in the library. Parents and community members are encouraged to ask questions about library catalogs and to communicate with their school principal and librarian directly if there is a concern. If schools and parents work together, I have no doubt that this issue can be resolved, and high-quality educational books will be provided to our students to further their education.

Joe Yech — The materials in our school libraries are and should be selected by trained educators and staff. My expectation as a board member will be that trained individuals select materials that provide educational value. Administration should work with those individuals to ensure the educational value of the materials selected.

Denelle Korin did not respond to the survey.

Penns Valley Area School District candidates

Nicklaus Engle — There are no library titles I’m interested in removing. I could see a benefit to changing the catalog selection process by being more inclusive and diverse, but I also have a lot of faith in teachers and library staff to make the literary choices that will engage with students and reflect their curricula.

Mike Pase — The school board is already part of the catalog selection process, and I am currently unaware of any materials the community feels is inappropriate for our school. The school is a reflection of the community, and the community has a say in what materials are available to the students with the guidance and direction of the school faculty and staff.

Celesta Powell — I would not at this time. Librarians and administrators that live in our districts and surrounding areas choose books that are relevant and appropriate for their youth.

Dan Hall, Molly Miller, Kim Kellerman-Domin, Domer Smeltzer, Daniel Pick and Scott Butler did not respond to the survey.

Bald Eagle Area School District candidates

Jason Penland — I trust our librarians and administrators to make these decisions, and I do not hesitate to say that the board should not be involving themselves in micromanaging our libraries. BEA has a $36.5 million budget, 3 outlying schools, a main campus, and a host of competitive, fiscal, and security concerns that take up the bulk of my concern and efforts as a board member. When the board is involved to the point of deciding what books to approve or deny, it would not only demonstrate that we have lost trust in our superintendent and by extension the administrators and faculty, but also demonstrate that we have lost sight of our duties to both our students and the community. From a personal standpoint, when I think of all of the possible vectors of evil that our children are exposed to on a regular basis, the library is dead last on my list of root causes. Our children regularly check out books at both BEA and the Centre County Library, and are all the better for it. If policies were ever needed to change the catalog selection process, I would need to see extremely good evidence for why this needed to happen, but our involvement at a maximum should be the creation of policies pertaining to this, nothing more.

Molly Hoover, Erica Danneker and Brandi Bartley did not respond to the survey.

Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District candidates

Tiffany Warlow — I do not support removing library titles or changing the catalog selection process. Our librarians and teachers are well informed and trained in their roles and understand what is age/grade-level appropriate. However, if a parent does not want his/her child reading a certain book, the child should be offered an alternative (this policy has always been in place in most districts). Parents have a right on what their own child reads but should not dictate what everyone else’s child is reading.

Todd Jeffries, Tim Bainey and Alexander Boumerhi did not respond.