Waxahachie ISD launches School Library Advisory Council to review book orders under Senate Bill 13

Waxahachie ISD convened an initial School Library Advisory Council (SLAC) meeting to set procedures for reviewing thousands of proposed book purchases and for handling future challenges under Senate Bill 13. Assistant Superintendent Lisa Moth, who led the meeting, said the district is following the most recent guidance available from the Texas Education Agency while final statewide guidance continues to arrive.

The committee’s chief duties, Moth said, are to review campus book orders submitted by librarians and to consider any books formally challenged by parents. "This was established through Senate Bill 13," Moth said, adding that the district is still building some processes: "We're still kind of building this plane as we're flying." She said Waxahachie ISD proactively formed the SLAC rather than waiting for a petition trigger in order to allow the district to manage reviews on its own timetable.

Why it matters: Senate Bill 13 requires school districts to provide a public review period for book orders and to offer a mechanism for challenges; the SLAC is Waxahachie ISD’s local advisory body to help the school board weigh those recommendations before formal board approval.

How the review will work: Moth said campus librarians submitted their consolidated order list to…