During a November 5 work session, the Cypress‑Fairbanks Independent School District (Cy‑Fair ISD) board of trustees took up three key agenda items that affect families across the district: a proposed change to library access policy, the release of the FY 2025‑26 financial audit results, and an update on the district’s student screen‑time monitoring initiative.
Opt‑out library policy to give parents more control
Trustee Lesley Guilmart explained that the district’s current opt‑in requirement for parents to request access to certain library titles is more restrictive than state law. Under Senate Bill 13, parents may submit a list of materials they do not want their children to see, but the district’s policy forces families to actively opt‑in for broader access. Guilmart said the proposed revision would move the process to an opt‑out model, aligning the district with the law and reducing the burden on parents who may be unaware of the existing requirement.
“I’m suggesting that this policy, as it is, is onerous for parents or they’re not even aware of the requirement to opt their children into being able to access certain books,” Guilmart said. “We know that reading engaging books correlates with higher academic achievement; this has ramifications for our students’ education and their learning.”
Data presented by the board showed that 16 % of high‑school students were granted access to the adult‑level collection during the 2025‑26 school year. Trustee Todd LeCompte emphasized a cautious approach, stating, “I’m always gonna err on the side of caution for our students and for our kids.” Meanwhile, Trustee Justin Ray argued that the current opt‑in system protects the district by ensuring parents give explicit permission before their children encounter potentially objectionable material.
Before the policy’s second reading, trustees asked the administration to ensure the change would not add extra workload for librarians, who are already split between campuses, as noted by Trustee Kendra Camarena.
Financial audit shows low administrative costs
The board also received the highest level of assurance on its FY 2025‑26 financial audit. The audit found the district’s administrative cost ratio at 3.74 %, which is 4.81 percentage points below the Texas Education Agency’s threshold. This result underscores the district’s fiscal responsibility and its focus on directing resources toward classroom instruction.
Screen‑time monitoring initiative gains momentum
In a separate report, trustees reviewed progress on the district’s effort to prioritize active learning by monitoring student screen time. The initiative includes developing campus‑specific usage reports, aligning curriculum with technology use, communicating findings to families, and continuously reviewing the data to make adjustments.
Board members expressed optimism that the data‑driven approach will help teachers balance digital instruction with hands‑on learning, supporting both academic outcomes and student well‑being.
Next steps
The board is scheduled to reconvene on November 9 at 6 p.m. in the Mark Henry Administration Building Boardroom (11440 Matzke Road, Cypress) for a regular meeting. A livestream of the session will be available for community members who wish to follow the discussion.
Parents and community members are encouraged to review the proposed library policy changes, examine the audit findings, and stay informed about the screen‑time monitoring efforts as the district continues to prioritize transparency and educational excellence.
Original reporting: Community Impact — Houston — read the source article.
