Why some North Texas schools aren't accepting donated dictionaries
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Southlake's Rotary Club has given out stacks of dictionaries to third graders in the city's public schools for years, but now the district's new book policies have made those donations more difficult.
Why it matters: Texas schools ban more books than any other state, and battles over book-approval guidelines have dominated school board discussions for more than a year.
- The fact that the conversation has turned to dictionaries shows how strict these policies have become.
Flashback: Earlier this year, Keller temporarily removed 41 challenged books from library and classroom shelves, including all versions of the Bible and an adaption of Anne Frank's diary.
What's happening: The Rotary Club has held off purchasing its usual lot of student dictionaries until the district assures the group that its members will be able to deliver the books to students in person, per NBC5.
Meanwhile: Parents in nearby Grapevine-Colleyville ISD say they're having trouble donating books because of that district's new 20-page book-donation protocol.
What they're saying: Rotary Club members say the annual donation of dictionaries is about more than the physical books — it's a chance for members of the community to tell students about the virtue of service-above-self.
- "[We] talk to third graders about the value of learning, and learning not just from their phone," a Rotary Club member told Southlake's school board last month.
The other side: "We have apologized for the delay in distributing these books; however, as with all book donations, they must follow the new procedure as outlined in the policy," Southlake ISD told NBC5.
- "We are grateful for this long-standing tradition, and we hope to continue our positive relationship with the Southlake Rotary Club."