Some context
Trustees discussed the new library council during a Sept. 30 special-called meeting.
The new council is being established as part of Senate Bill 13, which was passed in the 89th Texas Legislature earlier this year and expands parental rights to review and question instructional and library materials used in the district.
The bill allows districts to form local “school library advisory councils” if at least 50 parents or 10% of the parents in the district, whichever is less, sign a petition requesting a council. The councils must have at least five members, most of whom are parents. Members can make recommendations to add or remove books from a school’s library, according to the bill.
Any resident can submit complaints about books in a district’s library under SB 13.
A closer look
During the Sept. 30 meeting, HISD General Counsel Jeremy Binkley said the council would be in charge of recommending new library material, but he noted trustees would still be required to approve all recommendations. The library council will also be charged with hearing all challenges to library material currently on shelves.
Binkley said the council will be made up of 14 non-employee community members. He said a majority of the council’s members will be required to be parents of students in the district. Additionally, Binkley said trustees could revise the number and makeup of the committee in the future.
“I think 14 voting members is a good start, and if there is a need for non-voting members in the future, that can be revised,” Binkley said.
Trustee Oscar Silva said he believed a uniform application process for selecting members would be necessary, noting numerous community members have already expressed interest in serving on the council.
While Binkley said it was ultimately up to board members to appoint members to the council, he said administrative officials could create an application to help narrow down potential appointees.
Trustee Robert Scarfo discussed the potential for an ad hoc committee to vet applications.
“We could get 100-150 [applicants],” Scarfo said.
Binkley said there was some urgency in getting the council in place, as library material purchases are currently on hold pending the council's formation.
"Our libraries have books," Binkley said. "We want to get more books, but they're not barren."
What’s next
Binkley said administrative officials would move forward with creating an application before the board's Oct. 21 meeting. He said the council would likely be approved by the board’s November meeting.
