After another school board meeting became mired in library book discussions, Pearland ISD trustees agreed March 17 that a workshop or committee is needed to sort out a process for dealing with a state directive.
Texas Senate Bill 13 requires all new library materials be purchased publicly posted for at least 30 days and approved by the school board. But since going into effect, board approvals of purchase lists have generated disagreement about books pulled off the list.
“We have one trustee who wants to pull half a dozen books every single month,” Trustee Toni Carter said. “I’m perfectly happy with getting a committee together.”
At the March meeting, Trustee Kris Schoeffler pulled six titles from the list, citing concerns they contain sexually explicit content.
Titles pulled by Schoeffler included “The Thorn Queen,” “Better the Devil” and “The King’s Beast.”
“These aren’t being pulled — but if we have a process in place, they will be the first ones to be looked at,” he said.
In the meantime, months could go by, Carter said.
“We’re just right back to where we were again,” she said, adding that having one board member hold up purchases for the entire district isn’t a fair process.
“We have not decided as a board that these books are unacceptable,” she said. “We don’t have a formal challenge. We do have the opportunity for parents to opt out of any of these books.”
Much of the objectionable material in books are things high school students are aware of, she said.
“Pulling it from the library isn’t going to pull that reality from them,” she said.
Parents can opt their children out of individual books through the parent portal, but the district is still working on a system where parents can exclude all books dealing with certain subjects.
A date when that feature will be available has not been determined, Superintendent Larry Berger said.
Even so, students can still access and read books on campus without checking them out, staff members pointed out.
“We could argue every book in this forum, but I don’t think it is appropriate use of our time,” Trustee Crystal Carbone said. “I think the idea of moving forward with a workshop or policy committee are two viable options.”
