SCUC ISD outlines annual review process under Senate Bill 13; board to review recommended titles in November

Schertz‑Cibolo‑Universal City Independent School District officials on Oct. 23 described the district’s multi‑step process to review school library and classroom books under Senate Bill 13, and said the board will receive a recommended list of titles for board review in November.

District library services coordinator and district staff told trustees that Senate Bill 13 requires a public posting and 30‑day public comment period before the board may act on recommended titles. The district’s librarians compiled roughly 400 candidate titles for the fall packet; librarians, the district library coordinator and the superintendent’s office each reviewed the list before posting, staff said.

Superintendent Maloney and the district library team explained why the district has tightened procedures: Senate Bill 13 adds annual collection reviews and requires that library books be "integral to the instructional program," "appropriate for the reading level and understanding of students," have "literary and artistic value," be supported by professional reviews, and "present information with the greatest degree of accuracy and clarity." The law also prohibits library materials that contain "harmful material, obscene content, indecent or profane content, pervasively vulgar material, and educationally unsuitable material," staff said.

District staff described three mechanisms for parents and community members: 1) an immediate administrative review that can remove a title if staff find it noncompliant; 2) an online opt‑out form that lets a parent remove a title for their child; and 3) a formal challenge process that triggers a review committee and must reach the board with a recommendation within 90 days. The district said it will use a rubric to document any challenged passages and to evaluate each title against the statutory criteria.

Staff said they are providing librarians with refreshed training and calibration sessions this week to make sure reviewers interpret statutory language consistently across campuses. They also said the district is piloting AI tools to speed initial screening of large lists, while emphasizing human review remains the final check.

Board members pressed staff on donations, classroom libraries, timelines and impacts on ordering. Staff said donated books intended for school or classroom collections must meet the same standards as purchased materials; donations intended only for a teacher’s personal library follow a different review path. Because of the new annual review requirement, staff told trustees the district has delayed some orders: titles approved in November would likely be ordered and received in early 2026. Staff said the last ordering cutoff to supply books before summer will be in April so campuses can receive material before the next school year.

Trustees and staff also discussed how professional book reviews are identified (Goodreads, publisher reviews and other established review outlets), the need to avoid overreliance on any single website, and plans to work with Region 20 and the Texas State Library and Archives Commission on continued training. Staff emphasized the process will be iterative and that parents retain the option to opt their children out of specific titles or to file formal challenges.

The board will receive the recommended book list as a discussion item in October and is scheduled to vote in November; staff said additional title lists will be brought monthly for action as needed.