TX Reps Urge WilCo To Not Withhold Federal Funds For RRISD, LISD

Round Rock TX

20 December, 2021

6:59 PM

Description

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — Some members of the Texas House of Representatives are urging Williamson County to reconsider its decision to withhold federal funds from Leander and Round Rock ISD over certain school books. The letter, which was directed to County Judge Bill Gravell and commissioners, was sent Monday by District 50 representative Celia Israel, District 47 representative Vickki Goodwin, District 48 representative Donna Howard and District 136 representative John H. Bucy III. The officials said they were "disappointed" to hear the county planned to handout its $14 million of CARES Act federal funding to every student in Williamson County except for students in Leander and Round Rock ISD. The letter comes a week after Commissioner Valerie Covey said in Tuesday's board meeting that she would not agree with sending the money to the districts' schools "that put smut in the rooms of the kids." RELATED: WilCo Withholds CARES Funds For LISD, RRISD Over 'X-Rated' Books "I'm not OK with giving money to school districts that teach critical race theory or that allow books in their library ... books that we would consider X-rated," she said. Covey was referring to the controversy surrounding books in Leander's high school English classes. Each year, high schoolers can select books from a list for book clubs and peer reading groups. On Dec. 9, Leander ISD removed 11 books and graphic novels from its optional book club curriculum after a year-long review over "appropriateness" and "content level" in school books. The books were not banned or taken out of its online and on-campus libraries, but were simply removed from the optional reading list, school officials said. Last year, parents began protesting some of the books on the list, arguing they contained depictions of graphic violence, inappropriate language and sexual content. This topic forced Leander ISD to conduct their review and ultimately remove 11 out of 150 books on the list. Some of the books that were removed on the optional reading list included Alan Moore's "V is for Vendetta," Margaret Atwood and Renee Nault's "The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel"and Ashley Hope Perez' "Out of Darkness." "As representatives of these communities, their taxpayers, and their children, we find it unconscionable that our public schools, teachers, and students would be punished through no fault of their own but because of political disputes," the letter said. "You have previously been thoughtful and gracious enough to provide CARES Act funds to our public schools, even when not required, to offset the momentous challenges and learning loss we are seeing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. "As you allocate a second wave of CARES Act funding, we are asking that you show that same forward-thinking and responsiveness by voting to extend funding to Leander and Round Rock ISDs." The letter states both Leander and Round Rock school districts serve the overwhelming majority of students in Williamson County and the funding in question could "go a long way to address the challenges they continue to face throughout the pandemic." "We ask, again, that you do the right thing by the families and taxpayers in Leander and Round Rock ISDs and allocate funding as you have for every other school district to support our teachers and students," officials said. A Round Rock ISD and Leander ISD spokesperson told Patch last week the districts met with officials to clear up any concerns they may have related to library books and instructional materials. Officials said they were hopeful the funding will be approved this week. If approved, the two districts could receive about $9 million combined. The districts did receive money from a previous round of funding from the CARES Act. The county commissioner's will meet again to discuss the issue on Tuesday.