Teachers and parents urge Manor ISD to restore librarians and open campus libraries
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Summary
During public comment at the Feb. 23 Manor ISD board meeting, teachers and community members urged the district to restore librarians, reopen campus libraries, and provide temporary staffing or budgets so students regain access to books and library services.
Several district employees and community members used the board's public forum on Feb. 23 to urge Manor Independent School District to restore library services and staff campuses with professional librarians.
Alejandra Montelongo, a pre-K bilingual teacher with 14 years' experience (eight in Manor ISD), told trustees students at her campus "haven't had books in their hands" since libraries were changed two years ago and warned that literacy goals cannot be met without library access. "Having a librarian in all our libraries is not a luxury. It's a basic need," she said, urging the board to allow principals to hire paraprofessionals if hiring certified librarians is not immediately feasible.
A representative of Texas Coalition for Change read a resolution honoring the late Trustee Dr. Mary L. Thomas and provided a copy for district records and the family; that reading was separate from the library requests but underscored community engagement at the meeting.
Rachel Petit, a longtime resident and advocate, echoed the teaching staff's calls and urged concrete steps: "Our call to action is for access to books on every campus for everyone ... All libraries on every campus open and fully staffed with a highly qualified staff member." Petit suggested partnerships with nearby university librarian programs (Texas State, UT, UNT, Texas A&M, Sam Houston State, Texas Woman's, University of Houston) to recruit student teachers and replenish library staffing.
Board secretary and staff explained public comment rules and noted board members may not respond or take action on items raised during public forum; however, trustees and administration acknowledged the concern and the superintendent's team later described budget and staffing constraints during the meeting's budget discussion. No formal motion or vote on library staffing occurred at the meeting.
The public comments put a spotlight on literacy and access: speakers tied library staffing directly to literacy outcomes and asked the board to consider interim steps (paraprofessionals, partnerships) while the district addresses longer-term hiring and budget decisions.