Board rejects removal of five challenged books, approves December library list

Trustees considered item 61 — the district's monthly library materials list — and debated a motion to remove five challenged titles before voting on the full list.

A trustee moved to approve the 2025–26 elementary, middle and high school library materials for December 2025 with the exception of five titles. The five titles read into the record included: Chris Makes a Friend by Alex Gino; My Journey Growing Up Transgender by Grayson Lee White; Allyship as Action: 7 Ways to Advocate for Others by Tanya Bautigiu; Semicolon: A Banned Books Journey by Rob Sanders (referred to as "Book Comes Home"/Semicolon); and 'Blades of Furi' by Deja Muniz (the exact stylization was discussed on the record).

District staff (Ms. Collins) explained the informal and formal challenge process under board policy: informal resolution by a campus librarian or administrator, alternatives offered to a concerned parent, or a formal challenge submitted through TEA forms and reviewed by a committee. The trustee asking the question said the intent was transparency and clarity for principals and teachers about how challenges are handled.

The motion to exclude the five titles failed on a 2–5 vote. A subsequent motion to approve the complete December 2025 library materials list as presented passed on a 5–2 vote.

The board did not change policy in this meeting; staff noted that formally challenged titles can still be reviewed through the district's established appeal procedures.

Next steps: the approved list will be posted as part of the monthly library‑materials process and any formal challenges will follow the process outlined by district staff.