Students at multiple Beaumont Independent School District (BISD) elementary campuses have reportedly been unable to access their school libraries or check out books for the current school year, according to conversations between The Examiner and campus staff.
The reports come as the district operates under Texas Education Agency (TEA) oversight, including a hand-picked board of managers and only recently-certified superintendent of schools, and faces ongoing concerns about student literacy. More than 40% of students in grades three through eight did not meet grade-level performance on the spring 2026 STAAR reading tests, according to public record.
Weeks ago, The Examiner began receiving complaints from parents and teachers who said students were denied access to school libraries. While BISD administration has maintained that libraries are being used, people familiar with campus operations say some have effectively become spaces where students sit and complete additional worksheets rather than participate in traditional library activities.
Parents have reported that their children are no longer bringing home books to read and that visiting the library is no longer part of their regular class schedules. This week, staff confirmed the suspicions.
The Examiner contacted every BISD elementary school shortly before press deadline to ask whether students were visiting libraries and checking out books. Staff at nearly every campus confirmed that students were not doing so, while others said schedules were being developed or that they did not have enough information to confirm whether books were being checked out.
Elementary campuses report changes to library access
At Amelia Elementary, staff confirmed that students were not currently using the library for traditional library activities.
“No, not at this time – they are using the library for other purposes,” a staff member at Amelia Elementary said.
When The Examiner asked whether the restriction applied to all students and would continue throughout the year, the staff member responded, “Yes, for now at least, that is part of the new curriculum.”
The Examiner’s calls to other elementary campuses produced similar responses, and although the circumstances varied by school, an overwhelming majority reported that students had not yet utilized their campus library this school year.
At Blanchette Elementary, when told reports that students were not going to the library, the campus staffer responded, “No, that’s true – all I know is they took that program out.” When asked what program had been removed, the staff member responded, “The library.”
At Charlton-Pollard Elementary, staff reported that, “No classes are going to the library.”
A slightly different bit of information was provided at Fletcher Elementary, where staff did not directly answer whether students had been visiting the library. Instead, the staff member said plans were underway.
“They have a schedule that was just given to us this week and it’s supposed to start next week. They are still getting the library ready, and it will start on Monday,” the Fletcher Elementary staffer said Oct. 21, more than two months after school first started for this year.
Other responses at elementary campuses varied, including, “It’s not a part of the routine,” “Not at this time,” “The only electives they have at the moment are music and PE – they no longer let them check out books anymore.”
The concerns extend district-wide.
During the Sept. 24 BISD Board of Managers meeting, West Brook High School psychology and sociology teacher Greg Landry raised concerns about his students’ access to a school library.
“We still don’t have a library. We’re supposed to be a high school. We were a B-rated campus. We don’t even have a librarian,” Landry said, speaking on behalf of his students. “We just want our school back.”
The Examiner confirmed through BISD employment postings that the district was actively posting an employment ad for a librarian at West Brook High School.
The reports about library access come as the district implements its Accelerated Instructional Model, or AIM. Under the model, students who have mastered a lesson objective leave the classroom while their peers continue working on the material. Sources told The Examiner that those students are sent to the library, sit with a student support coach, and work on worksheets.
Books and public records denied
According to the district, its librarians manage a collection of 278,836 items valued at more than $5 million across 27 campuses.
The Examiner sought records that would show how frequently those materials were being checked out by students.
Oct. 5, The Examiner submitted a public information request seeking documents or reports reflecting the total number of library materials checked out at each campus in the current school year compared with the same period last year. The requested date ranges covered just over a month. The Examiner requested aggregate campus totals and did not seek student names, individual book titles or other additional records.
The district uses the Atriuum system to maintain library records, according to information provided to The Examiner. Sources familiar with Atriuum software said the report could be easily obtained.
Oct. 6, The Examiner contacted Debbie Bridgeman, BISD's coordinator of Business and Community Partnerships within the district's communications department and the direct recipient of the request, to confirm it had been received the day prior. Bridgeman confirmed receipt by email.
The Texas Public Information Act requires governmental bodies to release requested information promptly. Texas’ Attorney General has interpreted the requirement to mean that a governmental body may take a reasonable amount of time to produce information but may not delay its release.
The district had 10 business days to request a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General if it believed any of the requested information should be withheld. The district did not request an OAG opinion or it would have indicated so.
Oct. 20 at 6:05 p.m., the 11th day following the request, Bridgeman notified The Examiner that, under Texas Government Code Section 552.221(d), the district would provide responsive documents no later than Nov. 4 at 4:30 p.m. – response 22 business days, or 30 calendar days, after the Oct. 5 request.
Section 552.221(d) addresses circumstances in which a public information officer cannot produce requested public information for inspection within 10 business days. Under the provision, the officer must certify that fact in writing to the requester and provide a date and time when the information will be available. In writing the caveat into the open records act, lawmakers indicated the loophole would be prudent for large or voluminous requests – there was no indication it would be used for one-page documents that should be already accessible to public employees.
Looking back on literacy
April 4, 2026, BISD issued a special acknowledgment of its librarians, crediting them with sparking curiosity, guiding discovery and helping every student find their story. The district also recognized that their impact extends beyond the shelves.
The current reports about library access come amid broader questions about the district's approach to independent reading.
Weeks ago, Superintendent Sandi Massey, who has led the district since the TEA takeover, revealed publicly that she did not know what Accelerated Reader was. Accelerated Reader is a literacy program used by more than 60,000 districts nationwide to track and encourage independent reading. The program awards students points, and participation varies by district and campus because it is not required by the TEA. Massey’s complete lack of knowledge about the widely used provision brought noticeable surprise to teachers and parents alike at the district’s Sept. 15 Community Action Series meeting.
The district's current approach to library use, combined with the reported absence of regular book checkouts at numerous campuses, raises questions about how students will access reading materials and participate in independent reading activities. The move mirrors actions at Houston Independent School District (HISD), also under TEA control with Massey’s former boss at the helm.
According to Friends of HISD Libraries, an organization that advocates for and works to expand HISD libraries, the district authorized the closing of more than 170 school libraries over the past three years during the TEA takeover. The organization asserts that schools without functioning libraries are predominantly located in areas with greater poverty.
The organization existed before the 2023 TEA takeover and invested in campus libraries by providing books, technology, and other resources.
In 2022, every HISD campus was required by then-Superintendent Millard House II to have a library and a full-time librarian or media specialist. In June 2023, the TEA assumed control of HISD. According to Friends of HISD Libraries, Superintendent Mike Miles (Massey’s former boss) began closing libraries after the takeover and, by February 2026, 188 campuses no longer had functioning libraries.
The Houston Chronicle reported that, in May 2025, HISD had only 23 librarians for its 274 schools and that libraries were being emptied and converted into team centers with desks where students could complete worksheets.
The developments in Houston provide a point of comparison as Beaumont ISD implements its own instructional model under state oversight.
Parents, students encouraged to speak up
The Examiner is seeking to hear from Beaumont ISD parents and students about their experiences with school library access.
If your Beaumont ISD student is not being given regular access to their school library, if younger students are no longer being read to, or if students in second grade and older are unable to check out and bring home books, The Examiner wants to hear from you and from them. Email barbara@theexaminer.com
Better yet, reach out to the appointed district leaders tasked with ensuring students learn to read. BISD decisions are currently controlled Superintendent Sandi Massey and by the following individuals on the board of managers, and stakeholders are encouraged to reach out to them directly with any concerns:
Board President Jeff Wheeler jeff.wheeler@bmtisd.com
Board Secretary Arthur Louis Jr. Arthur.louis@bmtisd.com
Member Desmond Bridges Sr. desmond.bridges@bmtisd.com
Member Darrian Graves Darrian.graves@bmtisd.com
Member Elias Ibarra Elias.ibarra@bmtisd.com
Member Laurie Leister laurie.leister@bmtisd.com
Member Daniel.parker@bmtisd.com
Collectively: schoolboard@bmtisd.com
The next meeting of the BISD Board of Managers is scheduled for Oct. 22 at the BISD Board Room at 5 p.m.
In 2025, guests brought free books for students to enjoy. In 2026, Superintendent Sandi Massey has prevented students from checking out a single book in most elementary schools.
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When the Texas Education Agency took over Beaumont ISD, literacy scores were planned. Since then, the district has prevented students from accessing elementary libraries.