Allen ISD · Collin County · April 27, 2026
Allen ISD responded to LION’s April 22 Open Demand Letter with an email that ultimately points everyone back to the district’s public input form. LION’s central demand — a 90-day postponement of the 818-book library materials purchase — was not addressed. The district’s 30-day public review window ends May 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM. The math shows that window is not workable for any parent.
The District’s Response
On April 27, 2026, Allen ISD responded to LION’s April 22 Open Demand Letter. The district’s reply did not engage with the substance of the demand. It directed LION and the public back to the district’s existing public input form. The 90-day postponement was not granted. The 30-day window remains in place.
LION has flagged more than 200 titles on the proposed 818-book lists across Elementary, Middle School, Lowery Freshman Center, and Allen High School that raise serious questions under 13 Texas Administrative Code §4.2, Texas Penal Code §43.24, and Allen ISD Board Policy EFA/EFA-R1.
What 30 Days Actually Means for a Parent
LION calculated what it would take for one dedicated parent to do a responsible job reviewing all 818 proposed books within Allen ISD’s 30-day window:
- Initial screening of all 818 proposed books: 136 hours and 20 minutes — more than 17 full 8-hour workdays.
- Reading professional and parent reviews for the roughly 200 flagged titles: 167 hours.
- Writing detailed content summaries for those 200 flagged titles: 250 hours.
- Filing formal complaints for contested books: 20 hours.
Total realistic time for one dedicated parent: 550 to 650 hours — the equivalent of 3.5 to 4 months of full-time work. At a part-time pace of 20 hours per week, this review would take 6.5 to 8 months.
Allen ISD has given parents 30 days.
What This Means
The current 30-day timeline makes meaningful parental review structurally impossible. The statutory public-input process required by SB 13 is rendered illusory when 818 titles — including books released as recently as March 2026 — are bundled into a single 30-day window.
LION sent a formal reply to Allen ISD on April 27 reiterating the demand: immediate postponement of all purchases for a minimum of 90 days. This extension is necessary so the Local School Library Advisory Council (LSLAC) can fulfill its legal duty to review the flagged titles for age-appropriateness and suitability — and so parents can actually participate as the law intends.
What You Can Do
The public input period closes in less than one week.
1. Submit a comment to Allen ISD before May 3, 2026. The district’s public input form is at https://forms.gle/rZQmwmTJsuKJQt7q6.
2. Show up at the May 26 board meeting. 6:30 PM, 612 E. Bethany Drive, Allen TX. Public comment is allowed.
3. Sign the Open Demand Letter. Add your name in support. Even residents outside Allen still fund Texas public schools through state taxes.
4. Forward this report. Every Allen ISD parent, grandparent, and Texas taxpayer deserves to see the math.
Methodology
Time estimates based on standard book-review research practice: 10 minutes per title for initial screening; 50 minutes per flagged title for review research; 75 minutes per flagged title for content summary; 1 hour per formal complaint. Calculations: 818 × 10/60 = 136.3 hours for screening. 200 × 50/60 = 167 hours for review research. 200 × 75/60 = 250 hours for content summaries. 20 hours for formal complaints. Total = 573 hours, rounded to 550–650 hour range.
Do the Right Thing. Tell the Truth. Be Bold.
