Keller school board to vote on guidelines on library books, instructional materials
Keller school board members are scheduled to vote Monday on guidelines for policies pertaining to acquiring and reviewing library and instructional materials.
The regularly scheduled meeting comes after principals received an email Tuesday from the district’s curriculum director asking them to remove books that were challenged from classrooms and libraries so that they could be reviewed a second time.
News of the email — which listed 41 titles, including all versions of the Bible and “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” — made national headlines and generated backlash from organizations like PEN America, a free speech and literary organization that protects free expression in the United States and worldwide.
On Thursday, superintendent Rick Westfall said in a statement that the books had not been “banned” but were removed temporarily to comply with new policies. He noted that more than 50 copies of “The Diary of Anne Frank” have remained in circulation, with only the graphic adaptation being challenged.
“I want to assure you that Keller ISD is not banning the Bible or the Diary of Anne Frank, as has been suggested in some headlines and shared on social media, but I want to explain where this miscommunication came from,” he wrote. “Regardless of headlines or social media stories, none of the books under re-evaluation were banned.”
District spokesperson Bryce Nieman told the Star-Telegram previously that the additional reviews were needed to make sure the books met the policy requirements.
The new policies, required by the Texas Education Agency, state that books that have been challenged by parents or residents are to be held in a part of the library separate from the general circulation. Those titles are available with parental consent.
The district details the progress of the challenges on its website.
The meeting, at the Keller ISD Education Center Boardroom at 350 Keller Parkway, begins at 5 p.m. Monday with an executive session. The public portion starts at 6 p.m.
