College Station ISD board members, administrators, and parents discuss a new state law regulating public school libraries

This podcast contains comments from the August 7, 2025 special meeting of the College Station ISD school board.A new state law affecting the operation of public school libraries was discussed during a special meeting of the College Station ISD school board by members, administrators, and three parents who spoke during a public comment period.The CSISD board will consider action to comply with Senate Bill 13 at regularly scheduled monthly meeting on August 19.Click HERE to read and download Senate Bill 13 from the regular session of the 2025 state legislature.Superintendent Tim Harkrider described SB 13 "was written to create discord in communities, and take rights away from librarians and others of what's going on to create a controversy about library books that's a figment of their (state lawmakers) imagination."Requirements in SB 13, which was approved by all state lawmakers representing the Brazos Valley, required public schools to give parents access to everything that is available in their children's school libraries and to be notified when their children check out any library materials.School boards have to wait 30 days before a district can make a purchase or accept a donation of library materials.All decisions associated with library materials now have to be made by the board. Parents can appeal board decisions. And until the board rules on an appeal, that item is not available.School boards have the option to create a school library advisory committee (SLAC) or be forced to create the committee by a qualifying petition of parents. Harkrider told board members that they are not bound by SLAC decisions. If a SLAC is not formed, state law requires the board to ensure that the district's procedures for adding or removing library materials comply with existing state laws.