Celina ISD's school library advisory council opened its year Oct. 7 with a training session on how books are chosen and challenged, as a Dallas Morning News review published this week found that councils like it across North Texas are drawing few parents and few book challenges.
School library advisory councils were authorized by Senate Bill 13, a 2025 state law on school library oversight. Celina's has met seven times since November 2025, according to the district's BoardBook meeting records. Its sessions were held Nov. 19, 2025; Feb. 12, April 9, April 23, April 28 and May 6 of this year; and Oct. 7.
The Oct. 7 agenda lists an overview of the council's role, training on the district's collection development standards, a review of state law and local policy, the book collection review process and library materials challenges, all presented by Kyla Prusak, the district's chief academic officer. The council was also scheduled to nominate a chair. The district has not posted minutes from the meeting.
What other districts are finding
SB 13 lets districts set up councils, made up of parents, teachers and others from the community, to review what libraries plan to buy. The councils are optional, and more than a dozen North Texas districts have formed one, according to The Dallas Morning News.
The newspaper reported that the councils it examined meet about four times a year, often with no community members in the room, and that at least six got no book challenges in the past year, based on public records requests and interviews. Members described reviewing lists of thousands of titles, at times taking just 15 minutes.
Council members interviewed by the paper were divided on the councils' value. A McKinney ISD member questioned why the district would not trust its librarians and elected trustees. A member of the Red Oak ISD council said the process still benefits families by showing that schools are being transparent.
An Allen ISD member said she did not think the councils were necessary. Plano ISD does not open its council meetings to the public, a district spokesperson told the paper, though residents can still give feedback or formally ask for a book to be reconsidered.