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During the 89th Legislative Session, several new laws were passed that directly influence school district operations, including those related to parental rights, instructional materials, and library book selection. As part of our commitment to keeping our community informed, we want to address Senate Bill 13 specifically and the steps NBISD is taking to ensure full compliance.
Senate Bill 13 (SB 13), passed during the 89th Legislative Session, introduced new legal requirements for districts across the state. Under this legislation, local boards of trustees must now approve any library book purchases or donations. This represents a significant shift in responsibility, as these decisions were previously managed entirely by the district staff.
The NBISD Board of Trustees discussed the purchase of new library books, relative to SB 13, at the September board meeting. After the September board meeting discussion, the district chose to refine its process for all future library materials proposed to the board for consideration and will not request the approval of any library materials in October. The board of trustees will be discussing EFB Local and SB 13 provisions applicable to library materials at the October school board meeting. In the near future, NBISD will post a book order list for a minimum of 30 days, in compliance with statutory deadlines, and allow full opportunity for further community input in the coming months.
SB 13 specifically calls to exclude content from libraries that is considered harmful material, pervasively vulgar, educationally unsuitable, indecent or profane. The definition of these can be found online in Senate Bill 13.
As part of the process for SB13 compliance with current and future library material, the NBISD school board and administration is committed to the following:
Current NBISD Library Collections – As a district, NBISD is reviewing book titles currently owned by the district to identify possible SB 13 violations. If a potential violation is found, the book will be removed from the library pending a further review. The goal of this review is to ensure there are no titles in our current collection in violation of SB 13.
Parental Resources – From each campus’ online library portal, parents can see the full list of library materials their child has checked out, and designate books they don’t want their child to have access to. If someone challenges a book already in a library, there is a formal process for review of the challenged library material.
Vendor Assurances and Contract Verification – NBISD is requesting written assurances from all library book vendors confirming that any recommendations they provide to our staff are fully compliant with SB 13. NBISD staff is also reviewing and verifying that our current contracts with these vendors include updated SB 13 language and compliance requirements.
Future Library Book Purchases – The district is currently finalizing the review process for all future library materials that will be proposed to the board for consideration. This process will identify any potential violations of SB 13 before the list is presented to the board for consideration. If the title is determined to be compliant with SB 13, it will remain on the list. If the title is not compliant with SB 13, it will not be presented to the board.
NBISD remains dedicated to transparency, collaboration and compliance of legal requirements in regards to educational resources. As the district implements Senate Bill 13, our priority will continue to be providing students with access to age-appropriate, high-quality library materials that support learning and personal growth.
The district appreciates the ongoing partnership of our Board of Trustees, staff, parents, and community as we navigate these legislative changes together.
During the 89th Legislative Session, several new laws were passed that directly influence school district operations, including those related to parental rights, instructional materials, and library book selection. As part of our commitment to keeping our community informed, we want to address Senate Bill 13 specifically and the steps NBISD is taking to ensure full compliance.
Senate Bill 13 (SB 13), passed during the 89th Legislative Session, introduced new legal requirements for districts across the state. Under this legislation, local boards of trustees must now approve any library book purchases or donations. This represents a significant shift in responsibility, as these decisions were previously managed entirely by the district staff.
The NBISD Board of Trustees discussed the purchase of new library books, relative to SB 13, at the September board meeting. After the September board meeting discussion, the district chose to refine its process for all future library materials proposed to the board for consideration and will not request the approval of any library materials in October. The board of trustees will be discussing EFB Local and SB 13 provisions applicable to library materials at the October school board meeting. In the near future, NBISD will post a book order list for a minimum of 30 days, in compliance with statutory deadlines, and allow full opportunity for further community input in the coming months.
SB 13 specifically calls to exclude content from libraries that is considered harmful material, pervasively vulgar, educationally unsuitable, indecent or profane. The definition of these can be found online in Senate Bill 13.
As part of the process for SB13 compliance with current and future library material, the NBISD school board and administration is committed to the following:
Current NBISD Library Collections – As a district, NBISD is reviewing book titles currently owned by the district to identify possible SB 13 violations. If a potential violation is found, the book will be removed from the library pending a further review. The goal of this review is to ensure there are no titles in our current collection in violation of SB 13.
Parental Resources – From each campus’ online library portal, parents can see the full list of library materials their child has checked out, and designate books they don’t want their child to have access to. If someone challenges a book already in a library, there is a formal process for review of the challenged library material.
Vendor Assurances and Contract Verification – NBISD is requesting written assurances from all library book vendors confirming that any recommendations they provide to our staff are fully compliant with SB 13. NBISD staff is also reviewing and verifying that our current contracts with these vendors include updated SB 13 language and compliance requirements.
Future Library Book Purchases – The district is currently finalizing the review process for all future library materials that will be proposed to the board for consideration. This process will identify any potential violations of SB 13 before the list is presented to the board for consideration. If the title is determined to be compliant with SB 13, it will remain on the list. If the title is not compliant with SB 13, it will not be presented to the board.
NBISD remains dedicated to transparency, collaboration and compliance of legal requirements in regards to educational resources. As the district implements Senate Bill 13, our priority will continue to be providing students with access to age-appropriate, high-quality library materials that support learning and personal growth.
The district appreciates the ongoing partnership of our Board of Trustees, staff, parents, and community as we navigate these legislative changes together.
