Hermon Town Council allocates $6,000 for school library survey

HERMON, Maine (WABI) - Hermon town council will spend nearly $6,000 to ask registered voters their thoughts on content standards regarding school library content.

The council voted 4-3 to move forward with the survey after extensive deliberation.

This comes one week after parents concerned about sexual content in more than 80 books at the Hermon High School library pushed the school board for a content rating system.

The school board instead expanded the parent opt-out function.

Some councilors noted the price for taxpayers - higher than the $5,000 the Council originally reported - and the uncertainty of what the town could even do with the results as reason not to proceed.

Others said the council’s job is to act in the best interest of the town, noting a majority of residents they spoke were in favor.

“Is that the appropriate way to find out what the community really thinks?” asked councilor John Snyer III.

“There are several concerned parents who wanted to discuss and work with the school committee to try and put something in place, and they just totally refused,” council chair Steven Thomas said, a remark immediately met with disagreement by some in the audience.

“We understand there are going to be different values represented across our community,” superintendent Micah Grant said. “Ultimately, we’re about what the parents deem is good for their child, and having a conversation.”

Superintendent Grant said that although he does not support the survey, he welcomes it and asked to be a part of the process.

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