Key updates in this policy—which are also from new state bills—include more parental rights, new procedures for public challenges and appeals, required board approval for certain materials and additional transparency provisions, according to board agenda documents.
The gist
The new policy, also known as Policy EFB (LOCAL), is driven by Senate Bill 13, which passed in the 88th Texas Legislature in 2023, and expands parental rights to review and question instructional materials used in the district, district documents note.
The proposed policy also includes House Bill 900, which passed in the 88th Texas Legislature but was blocked by a federal court just before taking effect in 2023 due to “unconstitutionally vague standards,” according to the Texas Library Association.
HB 900, also known as the READER Act, would regulate “sexually explicit” and “sexually relevant” materials in public school libraries by requiring library material vendors to rate and even recall books.
While the bill is currently blocked, the district is incorporating it alongside SB 13 for legal preparedness in case the bill goes into effect, according to district documents.
What’s changed
While PISD already had a policy for library materials, the updated version now allows any district resident—not just parents or employees—to challenge library content, according to district documents.
Other changes include the following:
- Parents now gain expanded rights to submit lists of materials they wish to restrict their child from accessing.
- Board approval is now required for all proposed or donated library materials after 30 days’ public notice.
- Challenged materials are automatically restricted from all students during review.
- The Texas Education Agency’s challenge form must be used and publicly posted on the district’s website.
