WACO, Texas — Texas Senate Bill 13 would give school boards and parents more control over library book selections.
- Texas Senate Bill 13 would give school boards and parents authority over school library book selections
- Waco ISD’s STARS program encourages reading with volunteer support to help students improve literacy
- Local educators emphasize the value of libraries in fostering student success despite potential changes
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
“Reading is the door for success for kids,” said STARS book club program coordinator Christian Ybarra.
Reading — it’s a fundamental part of a child’s growth and development.
It’s the reason Waco ISD has programs like 'STARS' allowing volunteers to designate 30 minutes of their time to read with local students.
“One of the biggest issues we saw was that students were reading below grade level, we noticed that there was a trend in that in our local neighborhood, and we wanted to make a difference,” Ybarra said.
But a new bill moving through the Texas state capitol would change the way books are selected at public school libraries.
Senate Bill 13, introduced by Sen. Angela Paxton, would give district school boards and parents the power over which books are allowed on school library shelves.
“A lot of the things being pushed through and proposed, we are already doing in Waco ISD,” said Waco ISD Assistant Superintendent for curriculum and instruction Deena Cornblum.
Local districts like Waco ISD say that their lead librarian along with other district librarians are currently tasked with selecting what books are allowed in schools.
But district parents can weigh in on the specific books their child can and can’t check out.
And if there are concerns or questions with a particular book, a committee is in place to help make evaluations.
“ That committee has to look at the book independently, each member, and then they bring their findings back together and they review their findings, that process has to take place,” Cornblum said.
Senate Bill 13 expands on House Bill 900 , a 2023 law banning explicit content from bookshelves.
Regardless, volunteers like Christian are sharing the importance of libraries in our community.
"It gives them a chance to digress from what might be stressful in their own lives or in their studies, it gives them a place to be kids,” Ybarra said.
But it’s not just the students who are being benefited.
“It’s not just a blessing to the kids, it's a blessing to those of us who work 9-5, it allows us to pause and see that we can give to the greater good,” Ybarra said.
All 20 Republican senators sponsored the proposal — a date for the vote hasn’t been set yet.
