ROCK SPRINGS – Books were a topic of conversation with the Sweetwater County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees Monday as they agreed to purchase new books for the Rock Springs Satellite High School library and answered a question related to those books, while discussion also veered to why dozens of books were thrown away at Westridge Elementary recently.

The board approved a $20,985.83 bid for books from Mackin as part of the board’s consent agenda. A full list of the books and the two bids the district received can be viewed here. The purchase will be made using money from a BOCES grant. One resident questioned the board regarding the content of the books. 

Laura McKee, who has spoken to the Rock Springs City Council previously about her disapproval of drag show events at the Broadway Theater, asked about the purchase and how many of them would feature advisories about content.

“There’s going to be a hundred new books there and we’ve had a lot of problems in our school district with books and … blue label books specifically,” she said. 

McKee also said when meetings take place, items are introduced and passed. She asked if more meetings could take place to discuss topics such as book purchases so parents could be involved in the conversation because there isn’t time to do anything different with the purchase after it is approved. 

Chairwoman Carol Jelaco responded to McKee’s question and comments, reiterating the district’s policy on books for students.

“I will say this, our policy regarding our books is very clear,” she said. “A parent can decide what book their child reads and accommodations can be made if a book is not found to be appropriate by the parent for their student. But that does not mean we will eliminate the book and access to other students.”

Mckee asked if parents would have to sign off on students receiving certain books, but Jelaco said she wasn’t aware of how that works, only the policy in place in the district, and said she would follow up with McKee.

Director of Facilities Dan Sellerol spoke about social media blowback the district received after a photo was posted of a dumpster filled with books outside of Westridge Elementary School. He said the process is like any other district he’s been involved with. He said the district advertised the books before throwing them out. 

“We go through the hoops to get rid of things,” he said. “The books we got rid of were old, smelly, no one wanted them after several walkthroughs.”

He said he didn’t want to open the area up to the public because the district has a construction site at the school and said allowing residents to go into the school at the last minute to look at books would not be a safe way of operating a construction area. He said people have had more than ample opportunity to look at the books over the past year. Referencing comments about recycling the books, he said he has people working on the Westridge project paid through funds allocated by the state to do construction only.

“It’s not to load up books and put them in a truck and take them someplace for recycling,” he said. “I just don’t have the time and the money and the effort to do that.”