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Board discusses formation and membership rules for School Library Advisory Council (SLAC)
Summary
Trustees reviewed a proposed resolution and local policy to create a School Library Advisory Council under SB 13; the board directed staff to draft a resolution specifying 14 members (seven voting parents and seven nonvoting members) and to return with policy language for a second reading.
Trustees at the Oct. 21 meeting discussed a proposed resolution and draft local policy (EFB Local) to establish a Local School Library Advisory Council (SLAC) in response to guidance from the Texas Association of School Boards and SB 13.
Staff and board legal advisors reviewed statutory requirements, including that voting members of a SLAC must be parents of students enrolled in the district and not district employees. Trustees debated membership size and appointment procedures; board members proposed that each trustee appoint an equal number of members and that appointments be renewed annually to avoid turnover when a parent’s child graduates.
Trustee discussion led to a working direction to draft the resolution with 14 total members — seven voting parent members (one appointed by each trustee) and seven nonvoting members. Trustees recommended adding clarifying language in the policy stating that any recommendation from the SLAC be adopted "by a majority vote of the voting members" to avoid ambiguity. Board legal counsel and staff confirmed district staff (librarians, digital-learning staff and office personnel) will assist with logistics, posting and coordination.
The board did not adopt the resolution at the meeting; trustees asked staff to incorporate the suggested changes and return the revised resolution and local policy for the next board meeting and second reading. Trustees also discussed nomination and selection logistics, including public posting and whether names must be provided when the item is posted.
Why this matters: SB 13 and related guidance require parent-majority advisory bodies for school libraries in some contexts. The discussion sets membership, appointment and administrative procedures that will determine how community input is collected and converted into recommendations to the board about library materials and policy.
