The gist
New regulations from Texas’ 89th legislative session prompted the policy changes, according to district documents. Senate Bill 13, which became law Sept. 1, allows the district to establish a majority-parent local school advisory council to review library material challenges, and make recommendations on removing the challenged material. CISD Communications Director Jeff Brady said the district will establish the council and trustees will each appoint one council member.
What else?
The policy allows CISD parents, residents and employees to challenge library materials through a form on CISD's library services website. The school board will rule on the challenge within 90 days of receiving the challenge, and after the advisory council makes its recommendation, according to district documents.
CISD's library services website states the district will not remove library material based solely on the ideas expressed in the material. CISD Executive Director for Curriculum and Library Services Director Gina Peddy said CISD trustees have not yet appointed any members to the advisory council.
Diving deeper
In addition to reviewing challenges, the council will review donated library materials and proposed material acquisitions, and make recommendations to trustees about these items, per district documents.
The advisory council will require at least five members, and meet at least twice a year, Peddy said. CISD officials will record and post the meetings online, and the district will post the meeting location, time and agenda 72 hours ahead of each advisory council meeting, Peddy added.
Voting members of the council are required to be parents of students currently enrolled in CISD, per district documents.
The new policy also allows trustees to appoint nonvoting members to the council, which must be district teachers, administrators, librarians or counselors. Nonvoting council members can also be clergy members or members of the business community.
Looking ahead
CISD Superintendent Jeremy Glenn requested trustees to make their council selections by Oct. 3, and intends to schedule the first library council meeting for mid-October.
