Davis school board limits Monster Calls to grades 9 and up after debate

The Davis School District Board voted 4–3 on May 7 to approve the novel Monster Calls for whole‑class instruction at the secondary level, with the board setting the allowable grade level to ninth grade and above after a substitute motion. The motion followed a district book‑committee review and a discussion in which several board members said they had read the book and weighed its literary merits against a specific passage they found concerning for younger students.

"I would encourage anybody here to read the book," said board member Ms. Barber, who moved the original motion to approve Monster Calls for whole‑class instruction. President Mumford (speaking in favor of limiting the grade level) and Mr. Robinson argued that teacher judgment and the committee review supported classroom use, while other members cited an excerpt they believed made a ninth‑grade minimum more appropriate.

Board members described the local book review process: teachers, librarians and parent representatives read the full text and make recommendations about which grade levels are appropriate; materials approved for whole‑class instruction are disclosed by teachers in course disclosure statements. District staff noted they do not add content‑specific warnings to disclosures because doing so could risk singling out populations and appear discriminatory; instead, they post multiple reviews and descriptions on the district website to help parents and guardians decide whether to opt a student out or request an alternate text.

The meeting also recorded approvals for other instructional materials: secondary literacy curricula Word Connections and WordGen were accepted without recorded opposition, the MindUp SEL curriculum was approved on a 6–1 vote after questions about program vetting, the Healthy Life Stars elementary health and PE program passed, and the Kids Scoop elementary content reading program passed unanimously.

The board did not change its district‑level process for disclosures and parent opt‑outs during this meeting. Members who raised concerns said parents can request alternative material under existing procedures; district staff said teachers list all planned class readings in disclosure statements and the district maintains reviews on its website for parents to consult. The board indicated that final adoption of Land Trust/TSSA school plans is scheduled for June 4, separate from these textbook and curriculum votes.