Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA & HANNAH NORTON
CISD board reviews book policy revisions Conroe ISD trustees on Sept. 17 discussed the possible revision of the board’s policies regarding which books are prohibited from school libraries within the district. What to know CISD General Counsel Carrie Galatas presented several suggested changes to the current policies. The changes address concerns expressed by several trustees at the Aug. 20 board meeting after they learned that some books removed from school library shelves were used for advanced placement classes and the AP exam. The district updated its library policies in 2023 in response to House Bill 900, which prevents students from accessing inappropriate materials. Suggested revisions presented Sept. 17 included allowing students with AP classes to access mate- rials with parental permission. A date for further
TEA rating release remains blocked
Book removals upheld
House Bill 900 outlines standards for explicit content 120+ books removed from CISD shelves since 2023 19 books saw restrictions upheld in June
A Travis County district court again blocked the Texas Education Agency from releasing its AF accountability ratings for Texas school districts and campuses Sept. 18. What’s happening In a petition led Sept. 16, more than 30 school districts argued that TEA Commis- sioner Mike Morath failed to x “mistakes” made to the AF accountability system. A TEA spokesperson told Community Impact the agency plans to appeal; however, the injunction will remain unless a new ruling is issued, according to documents. The release of the ratings was blocked from its original Aug. 15 release date. A trial is set in Travis County for Feb. 10.
SOURCES: CONROE ISD, TEXAS LEGISLATIONCOMMUNITY IMPACT
discussion was not set at the meeting. What they’re saying
“I’m hoping we can come together as a board and correct the policy, to close the gaps that we saw,” trustee Stacey Chase said. “We aren’t being held by legal law standard right now for the vendors to rate our books, but we are being held accountable by law for the content of those books that they meet state law,” trustee Misty Odenweller said.
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THE WOODLANDS EDITION
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