“Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by Alison Bechdel will continue to be available for students at Maple Grove Senior High School, the Osseo School Board decided on a split vote Feb. 20.
The book was challenged by district community member Natalie Sonnek, who argued that book contained themes not appropriate for high school-aged children.
“‘Fun Home’ contains sexually explicit content that is simply not appropriate for minors or our school libraries,” Sonnek said. “‘Fun Home’ has absolutely no educational value.”
School board members who cast their vote in agreement with Sonnek were Heather Douglass, Sarah Mitchell and Tanya Prince.
“After reviewing the book Home Fun [sic] in its entirety, it’s evident that the content of this book does not meet the educational standards that are established by this district,” said Douglass.
In favor of keeping the book available were board members Thomas Brooks, Jacquelene Mosqueda-Jone and Tamara Grady.
Brooks said that the book has the potential to help some students who have comparable lived experiences. “We know that so many of our scholars face lived experiences that are beyond comprehension,” he said.
Community speaks before vote
The School Board heard many community comments on the challenged book.
The first comment came from Student Representative Mina Beattie of Park Center. “Books as a whole allow us to expand our thinking and make for insightful discussions, so why should we take this away from students?” she said.
Beattie mentioned reading the book “1984” her junior year and how that warns against censorship.
She said, “If this book does not particularly interest you, that’s no problem at all. Just simply don’t read it.”
Then came audience comments, first from parent Julie Smith. She felt that the district’s book review committee is not functional. She said she felt that the time meetings are held do not accommodate people with jobs, and that challengers don’t get enough time to speak.
“So far, to my knowledge, all contested books have remained in the childrens’ libraries,” Smith said. “The committee at no time said the books are educational – that is what the schools are for. They said it might emotionally support a few kids. Those kids should seek professional help.” She went on to express concerns that other kids would be exposed to “sexually deviant ideas.”
Smith’s daughter, Breanne Smith, graduated from Maple Grove Senior High in 2021. Smith challenged the book committee’s responses to the book challenge and expressed further worries.
“Desensitizing kids regarding sex makes them easier to lead down a road that may lead to sex trafficking,” she said. “It can be traumatizing to be exposed to sexually explicit materials at a young age.”
Mohamud Farah requested that Policy 441, which outlines acceptable use of technology, be amended to include printed material. He read a passage that discusses gay sex.
“As a Muslim parent, this shows that we can no longer trust the District with our children,” Farah said. “It shows us the aim of the District is not to prepare our children to become educated, productive members of the society, but it’s to alienate our children whose faith and moral values do not align with this hedonistic ideology.”
Educator Emily Bollinger had counterpoints. “Not only do book bans undermine our professionality as educators, but they also restrict what everyone’s children can learn – what others’ babies can read. No one person, no one group, should have this authority,” she said. “Books should always be evaluated in their entirety, not judged by an illustration or a passage taken out of context.”
Bollinger also referenced the U.S. Supreme Court decision that local school boards can not remove books from shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained within, stating that there is not only a moral but also a legal imperative to keep diverse texts available.
School library media specialist Sally Kimmes spoke as well. “Only presenting one possible outcome to define the perfect life or school experience is not what we are here to do,” she said. “We need to understand these individuals for who they are and how they present themselves to us, and help them achieve their dreams, whatever they may be.”
Towards the end of the meeting, the School Board discussed the book challenge. General Counsel Amy Moore explained the process.
“The board will consider the merits of the appeal. That means the board will consider whether the district level committee’s decision to maintain the book was reasonable and appropriate,” she said.
Moore also said the review standard is different because the book is available in the media center, which is a limited public forum, not a classroom.
The Board ultimately voted 3-3 to keep the book available to students.
Budget action items
Later, Kelly Benusa, Director of Business Services, gave a presentation on the 2024 mid-year budget revisions.
“The expenditure budget is decreasing by $850,000 from the adopted budget,” said Benusa. “Throughout the expenditures, you’ll see one-time savings or costs that are going to need to be added back to our fiscal year ‘25 adopted budget.”
The one-year only adjustments were impacted by the staffing shortage. Benusa then reviewed how this adjustment impacts the five year financial projection.
Prince commented that the board discussed these details in depth at a work session, and emphasized the importance of managing funds knowing that the district often operates on a deficit. “We’re very careful not to take on new structural expenses that will further that year over year deficit spending,” she said.
The School Board approved the budget.
Executive Director of Finance and Operations John Morstad then gave a presentation on 2025 budget adjustments, with the recommendation that the Board approve both budgets as presented. The Board passed them without discussion.
Morstad then described North View Middle School renovations happening this coming summer. “We’ll be done and ready for school as we start up in the fall,” he said. He also noted that the bid for the renovations came in under budget. The Board passed the bid.
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