WYLIE ISD trustees reviewed and moved forward with a local instructional resources policy that aligns the district’s library and classroom-materials rules with requirements of Senate Bill 13.

Tommy Vaughn and other staff described the policy changes as largely consistent with the district’s prior approach but noted new state-mandated requirements: parents gain enhanced access to library catalogs and lists and there is a formal challenge process that makes challenged items temporarily inaccessible while they are reviewed. “Senate Bill 13 is regarding library materials. The goal of it was [to] prohibit materials deemed harmful, indecent, or profane ... and establish a process for challenging library materials, with challenged items becoming inaccessible during review,” Vaughn said.

Staff said the district already had a reconsideration/challenge procedure and that the local policy is similar to the prior policy but with updated terminology and some new posting duties. A principal and the district technology/records staff described a technical plan: teachers scan title/ISBN data into a shared template, submit via a Google form, and the district will publish a searchable “library transparency” page on the accountability section of the website. Staff said the district intends to post catalog data by September 1 and that new items added after that date will be subject to a 30-day review period before becoming publicly accessible.

Board members raised questions about classroom libraries, book fairs and donated books. Staff said classroom books and donations will be subject to the same 30-day posting/review requirement and that campuses are preparing processes to manage the transition. “Some teachers are just boxing up their classroom books and taking it out,” a board member said; staff acknowledged concerns that the rule could slow classroom library growth and said they expect additional guidance from legal counsel and the Texas Association of School Boards in coming weeks.

Trustees did not identify legal policy language at the meeting (staff noted TASB was still finalizing legal templates after the legislative session) but approved the district’s local policy to allow administrators to begin implementation before school starts.