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San Angelo ISD trustees affirm committee to retain challenged books, cite Senate Bill 13 process
Summary
Trustees voted 6–0 to retain 141 titles recommended as level‑3 and to send two titles to formal reconsideration after administrators said the district had updated local policy to comply with Senate Bill 13 and to give parents primary decision authority for their child’s library access.
San Angelo — The San Angelo ISD board on March 26 affirmed its library reconsideration committee’s recommendations and declined to remove dozens of challenged titles from district circulation, saying the district has updated local policy to comply with Texas Senate Bill 13 and to make parents the primary decision‑makers for their child’s access to library materials.
Doctor Gomez, the district administrator who led the update, told trustees the district has completed required revisions to its local policy (EFB Local) and established a formal reconsideration form required under state law. The form asks challengers whether they have read an entire title, which sections they reviewed and how the material is “educationally unsuitable,” Gomez said.
Gomez recommended that 141 titles assessed at a level‑3 rating remain in circulation and that books used in curriculum remain available because SAISD already allows parents to request alternate reading assignments. He recommended two titles — Serpent and Dove and Blood and Honey — go through the full formal challenge process; a later recommendation will come to the board after that review.
“San Angelo ISD has fully complied with Senate Bill 13 by recognizing parents as the primary decision makers regarding their child’s access to library materials,” Gomez said, explaining new notifications and catalog access parents may use to restrict particular titles for their child.
During public comment before the vote, students and community members urged the board to preserve broad access to literature. Fifth‑grade student Evelyn Lozano Gasset told trustees choosing any book from the library is “one of my favorite things about school,” while several adult speakers, including educators and longtime readers, warned that removing classic and contemporary works would shrink students’ access to critical thinking tools.
The board president moved to affirm the committee’s recommendations, and the motion passed 6–0. Trustee comments after the vote thanked librarians and administrators for their work and praised students who spoke during public comment.
What’s next: The administration said two titles will undergo the full formal review; any subsequent recommendation will return to the board at a future meeting as required by district process.
