Humble ISD trustees discuss library‑council policy under SB 13; direct administration to open application process

The Humble Independent School District Board of Trustees on Oct. 21 discussed revisions to board policy EFB implementing Senate Bill 13 and directed district administration to publish an application process so trustees can begin naming members to a proposed 14‑member library council.

Board counsel summarized the board’s role and the statute’s limits, saying “the council makes recommendations. Any final decisions regarding library books, whether to approve putting them in or approve taking them out, is made by the board.” That guidance framed a discussion about council composition, appointment procedures and an outstanding book challenge that cannot proceed until a council is formed.

The issue matters because Senate Bill 13 gives locally created library councils a role in hearing challenges to library materials. Trustees said they want a transparent, uniform application system that allows each trustee to nominate the same number of appointees while ensuring the statutory requirement — a majority of voting members must be non‑employee parents — is met.

District staff explained the current draft policy calls for 14 voting members, which requires at least eight non‑employee parents to satisfy the “majority” requirement. Trustees discussed two practical mechanisms to preserve that majority: (1) trustees submit appointees to administration, which would tally appointments and notify trustees if the current slate does not meet the parent majority requirement; or (2) the council is formally formed only after the full board reviews and approves all appointees at a public meeting. Trustees raised pros and cons of each approach and asked administration to propose guardrails, such as limiting community appointees to residents of Humble ISD.

Several trustees supported an application process for prospective council members so the district can gather candidate information centrally. Trustee Silva (mover of later motions in the meeting) and others proposed using a short online form and a shared spreadsheet so trustees can review candidates without creating a walking quorum. Trustees also suggested creating a small ad hoc panel to vet an initial batch of applications and discussed appointing a single liaison to gather and present candidate information to the full board.

Dr. Lee, a district administrator asked to lead the operational work, said librarians are eager to begin purchases and the administration had held some orders while the policy was in flux. Dr. Lee said the district will collaborate with trustees to develop application criteria and to post a form as soon as practical.

Trustees asked administration to return proposed policy edits for formal consideration at the Oct. 21 meeting (administration said it would bring policy language back for the board’s review) and discussed an operational target of approving a council at a subsequent November meeting if the application and vetting steps proceed on the timetable trustees described. Trustees and administrators noted that one pending challenge to a library title cannot be processed until the council exists; the district has removed the challenged title from circulation while the process is established.

Trustees emphasized transparency and balance in membership, saying the council’s credibility depends on community buy‑in. Several trustees urged limiting community appointees to Humble ISD residents and avoiding selections that would give the appearance of political stacking.

The board did not take a formal vote on policy EFB during this session; instead trustees provided direction to administration to develop an application process, consider ad hoc vetting and liaison options, and return with policy language for board action.

Trustees and staff agreed to proceed with creating an application promptly so potential members can begin applying, while administration prepares formal policy amendments for a future meeting.