HOLLIDAYSBURG — Citing a need for further discussion on updated wording, the Hollidaysburg Area School Board tabled a scheduled vote on a revised version of a policy that regulates displays and decorations in classrooms.

Policy 321.1 — Displays and Decor in the School Setting was adopted in early 2023 amid backlash from district parents about a teacher’s decision to have a copy of the graphic novel “Gender Queer” on their desk.

In the revised policy, which was scheduled for a first reading during the Wednesday night board meeting, sections 3(b) and 3(c) were edited to remove an exemption allowing “Signs, stickers and/or other displays including messages promoting tolerance, kindness, support and inclusion, regardless of their placement, size, and/or location in the classroom.”

Subsection 3(c) was reworded for greater clarity in what political items are allowed.

Board President Carmen Bilek said that ongoing disagreements among board members about the best wording for the policy prompted the motion to table the vote, saying that the policy committee will spend more time deliberating the best path forward before potentially returning for another vote.

Bilek did not provide details on what the updated wording of the policy may contain.

In other business, Superintendent Curtis Whitesel provided an update on the district’s controversial plans to house a program for disruptive youth in the junior high building, saying that operator Nittany Learning Services had narrowed the search for a new location from five down to two options, but did not specify where they are.

The initial plan to place the AEDY program at the junior high was met with near instantaneous backlash from district families, who criticized an apparent lack of transparency and allegedly deficient security protocols in a public forum in July.

Whitesel sent a letter to the district the following week, explaining that Nittany Learning Services would seek an alternative place off campus for the program.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.