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Board approves library book purchases as staff report hundreds of SB13 challenges
Summary
Trustees approved the proposed list of library book purchases required by Senate Bill 13 timing, while administrators reported dozens of reconsideration requests and recommended retaining most curriculum titles and pursuing formal reviews for three contested books.
The San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees voted 6‑0 on March 9 to approve a delayed list of proposed library book purchases for the 2026‑27 school year, an action made necessary by Senate Bill 13 timing requirements and a rescheduled board calendar.
Before the vote, Dr. Gomez summarized the district’s compliance work under Senate Bill 13: staff have updated library procedures and forms, and through mid‑February the district had received dozens of book‑reconsideration requests (71 at that point, later described as part of a larger 141‑title submission from a single individual). Dr. Gomez said the submissions were filed by five individuals and that many forms contained only a book title and a citation to the statute rather than the required substantive answers such as whether the challenger had read the entire selection and how it is educationally unsuitable.
Dr. Gomez recommended that books that are part of the district curriculum remain in circulation. He identified four curriculum titles cited by challengers — Brave New World; The Perks of Being a Wallflower; The Bluest Eye; and The Freedom Writers’ Diary — and recommended they remain available because they are used in instruction. He also said the administration recommends proceeding with a formal review of three other titles (Red, White & Royal Blue; Serpent & Dove; Blood and Honey) because formal reconsideration requires multiple reviewers to read the full work and answer the required questions.
Administrators told trustees the district has implemented parental options that allow any parent to block specific titles from their own child’s checkout history and to receive notifications when their child checks out library materials; they said no parent had yet used those features. Dr. Gomez also said librarians had logged more than 100 staff hours on reconsiderations and that the process has delayed some orders and instructional access.
Public commentators and teachers urged the board not to support blanket removals, with several describing how controversial texts supported classroom learning and student growth.
With no community objections documented through the district’s public feedback portal during the 30‑day period required for the approved order, the board approved the purchase list to remain in compliance with the law and to avoid further delays in getting materials to students.
The board asked administration to follow the formal challenge procedures for any titles moved forward to formal review and to return recommendations at the regular April meeting.
