BrainPOP is a popular and iconic educational video service for students that are in grades 3 and up. BrainPOP has catered to students’ curious and intellectual needs since 1999.

The spokesperson for Francis Howell School District (FHSD) said that the district had a partnership with BrainPoP for 10 years.

The Learnings Commons proposal would require the board’s approval for all curriculum and supplemental materials. This proposal follows the board’s decision on June 6 to bar the use of BrainPOP material for district learning.

On June. 20, the FHSD Board Treasurer, Jane Puszkar, described the 5-2 vote from the conservative board as a motion against political influence. 

BrainPOP has a few videos that show information on the topic of government and law. These videos seem innocent and uninfluential. But Randy Cook, a member of the FHSD board, disagreed.

Cook claimed the videos to be propaganda from the leftists and the majority of the board agreed with the notion.

Nevertheless, speakers contested the decision of the board restriction on BrainPOP and on learning materials in the name of segregating politics and education.

Teacher Carrie Mettendorf shares her feelings on the ongoing debate.

“I don’t agree with it and find it bizarre. I do not feel that it is worth banning or restricting,” Mettendorf said. “It still is accessible here and kids have not once in the last few years mentioned it ever being an issue.” 

The Board of Education at Francis Howell even acknowledged going against teachers wishes by barring BrainPOP.

WSD still has access to BrainPOP, but students around the school district disagree with the possibility of something so familiar and helpful being banned. Missouri is a conservative state and the WSD board is debating whether to follow FHSD’s decision.

Some students find BrainPop as a way to learn and many remember is as iconic. One of those students being Joshita Piridi.

“There’s no way that BrainPOP is getting banned. It’s too iconic,” Piridi said.