Plano ISD trustees voted 7-0 Tuesday to adopt a revised instructional-resources policy, EFB Local, that establishes a School Library Advisory Committee the district will use to review new library material purchases and recommend reconsideration procedures required by Senate Bill 13. The policy was adopted on first and final reading after staff described how the committee will work.
The committee, commonly called SLAC in the policy, must include at least five members who are not district employees; a majority of voting members must be parents or guardians of currently enrolled students. The policy also specifies that SLAC will include professional staff such as librarians and that final committee membership will come to the board for approval.
District officials said SLAC will receive training on collection-development standards, administrative procedures and relevant state law and will meet at least twice yearly with 72 hours’ public notice and publicly posted minutes and recordings. "The SLAC will be responsible for receiving training on collection development standards, district policy, administrative procedures and relevant state laws regarding the selection of library materials," Deputy Superintendent Solinda Freeman said during the meeting.
Why it matters: SB 13 changed how Texas school districts must handle library materials and challenges. Under the new law, boards must approve library materials and a 30-day public posting is required for new material lists. The district told trustees it wants to create an extra layer of professional and community review so the board can consider both professional recommendations and public feedback before taking action.
What trustees discussed: Several trustees and several members of the public raised concerns about whether an appointed committee of parents would slow purchases or supplant professional librarian judgment. Trustee Michael Cook said he was worried a small group of parent appointees could not represent the district’s 47,000 students, while other trustees said SLAC will complement — not replace — librarians’ expertise. "We were depending on the librarians and we were good to go and they were doing their job," Trustee Elisa Klein said. "This is a law. So there is still a way where we could still consider what our librarians would have sent us would have ordered anyway. They just have extra feedback."
Board action and next steps: The board approved EFB Local and the administration said it will return with administrative procedures for how librarians will schedule collection-development cycles for SLAC review, how the 30-day postings will operate and how the district will handle challenges. The policy requires removal of challenged materials from shelves while a challenge is under review; staff noted that requirement is in the law and will shape SLAC procedures. "We do intend to establish a SLAC if EFB Local changes are approved," Freeman said. The board will formally approve committee membership once the administrative process is developed.
Community comment: Two parents spoke earlier in the meeting about related policies. Jennifer Reagan asked trustees not to adopt a SLAC preemptively and argued the district’s current online posting and book-challenge processes provided adequate public input; she said a standing committee would create delays. "A group of 5 to 7 parents with no required education or expertise in library science or collection development meeting twice a year ... cannot realistically review the volume of titles that PISD considers each year," Reagan said.
Ending: Staff said district librarians will still be able to purchase replacement copies and titles already in the district catalog without SLAC approval; SLAC review will apply primarily to new collection-development lists and the challenge/reconsideration procedures required by state law. Trustees directed staff to develop procedures and return with candidate appointments for board approval.