MCISD Monitoring Education Bills in Legislative Session

Two education bills currently under consideration in the 89th Texas legislative session could bring significant changes to public schools, including Madisonville Consolidated Independent School District.

Senate Bill 13, which recently passed in the Senate and has been referred to the House Public Education Committee, would overhaul how schools manage their library materials. SB24, which also passed the Senate with bipartisan support, would require curriculum changes regarding the teaching of communist regimes and ideologies.

“As with any legislation affecting public education, MCISD will make the necessary adjustments to ensure compliance with any mandates that may be enacted,” Dr. Kathleen Golden, Director of Curriculum at Madisonville Consolidated Independent School District, said.

SB13 addresses school library materials and would require school boards, rather than librarians, to have final approval over which books are placed in school libraries. The bill would create local school library advisory councils in each district with parents making up a majority of voting members.

“One such bill, SB13, has recently passed in the Senate; however, its legislative journey is not yet complete. The bill must also pass in the House, which may introduce its own version of the legislation, or the two chambers may collaborate to resolve any differences before it is presented to the Governor,” Dr. Golden said.

The bill would also establish a challenge process that would remove books from shelves until school boards make final decisions on their appropriateness.

“Madisonville CISD will continue to monitor all materials to ensure that they meet our state and community standards,” Dr. Golden said.

SB24, sponsored by Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, would require the State Board of Education to revise the social studies curriculum for grades 4-12 regarding communist regimes and ideologies. The bill would mandate age-appropriate instruction on historical events and atrocities attributed to communist regimes, including the Cultural Revolution, the Ukrainian Famine, and the Cambodian genocide.

“The bill reflects a broader need to ensure that students are well-informed with age-appropriate instruction about key historical events. The bill calls for a comparative analysis between collectivist ideologies and the foundational principles of the United States, including individual rights, democracy, and free enterprise,” Dr. Golden said.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who made SB24 one of his legislative priorities, emphasized the importance of teaching students about the history of communism.

“Nearly 100 million lives have been lost due to the horrors of communism. The darkest chapters in world history, including the crimes against humanity and mass-killings committed by the Chinese Communist Party, the Soviet Union’s communist government, and the Cambodian Khmer Rouge, must be remembered by future generations so history does not repeat itself,” Patrick said.

If enacted, SB24 would take effect beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, with the State Board of Education required to review and revise curriculum standards by July 31, 2026.

MCISD officials noted that the district will follow any new mandates.

“The State Board of Education has legislative authority to adopt the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) for each subject of the required curriculum. As a Texas public school, it is expected that teachers follow the TEKS for the courses they teach,” Dr. Golden said.

Both bills are part of a broader push by Texas legislators to increase parental involvement in education and revise curriculum standards. Critics of SB13 have raised concerns about potential book bans and the logistical challenges of having school boards approve every library book acquisition.