The ALLENISD-PIA-001 production was delivered to LION by Allen Independent School District (Allen ISD) on May 5 and May 6, 2026. The production was transmitted by J. Renee Cunningham — Communications and Marketing Specialist for Allen ISD in fourteen parts, designated PT1 through PT14, totaling roughly 775 pages. ALLENISD-PIA-001 was the records request LION filed under the Texas Public Information Act (PIA) — Texas Government Code Chapter 552, which gives any Texas resident the right to request records held by a governmental body. The request sought the source materials behind the 818-book proposed library purchase known as List 4, scheduled for a Board of Trustees vote on May 26, 2026.

The fourteen-part production covered the four campus groupings used by the district to organize List 4: Elementary (PT5 through PT8), Middle School (PT9 and PT10), Lowery Freshman Center (LFC, PT11), and Allen High School (AHS, PT12). PT13 contained internal email correspondence among librarians and administrators. PT14 contained the district’s written selection methodology. The remaining parts covered cover sheets, transmittal materials, and supporting documentation.

The production became the documentary base for LION’s audit of the List 4 proposal. The audit, published as the LION Report on May 17, 2026, drew its findings entirely from the language of the district’s own response. The source-label distribution across the 818 entries was tallied from the PT5 through PT12 entry blocks. The 158 explicit “no review” admissions were counted from the verbatim Librarian Note text in those same parts. The Sunrise on the Reaping cross-part contradiction — the same title carrying full School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly reviews at PT10 page 60 and a “No reviews; approved list 1” entry at PT11 page 58 — was identified by reading the two parts of the production against each other.

Two of the strongest findings later surfaced in LION’s May 25 deep-dive report came from a single page of the production. The Librarian Note for Wild Blizzard by Rodman Philbrick, at PT5 pages 132 and 133, read in full: “Not yet published. Set to be released October 2026.” The Librarian Note for I Survived #26 by Lauren Tarshis, at PT5 page 61, read: “This book is number 26 in an extremely popular series already in our library. This one is not yet published. Expected release September 2026.” Both entries appeared on the list of books the district proposed for board approval on May 26.

The full ALLENISD-PIA-001 production is preserved in LION’s files in its original transmitted form. Page numbers cited in LION’s public reports refer to the page numbering of the OCR’d production PDFs as delivered by the district.

Questions about this record or the audit findings drawn from it can be sent to press@lionwatchtx.org. Corrections to any factual claim should be sent to corrections@lionwatchtx.org with a citation to the underlying source.

On May 4, 2026, LION submitted six additional Texas Public Information Act requests to Allen Independent School District over a roughly four-hour window. The Texas Public Information Act (PIA) — Texas Government Code Chapter 552 gives Texas residents the right to request public records from state and local government bodies, including independent school districts. The six requests — numbered ALLENISD-PIA-003 through ALLENISD-PIA-008 — were sent to David Hicks, Allen ISD’s Chief Communications Officer and designated Public Information Officer.

Together the six requests map the district’s documentation of its school-library materials process — from what is on the shelves today, to what is proposed for purchase, to what has been removed, to what the district has certified to the state.

1. ALLENISD-PIA-003 — library collection inventory. A complete inventory of all titles currently held in Allen ISD library collections across every campus (Elementary, Middle School, Lowery Freshman Center, and Allen High School), including title, author, ISBN, campus, grade-level access designation, and date acquired.
2. ALLENISD-PIA-004 — proposed purchase cost and vendor records. The estimated or actual dollar cost of the proposed 818-title library materials purchase posted for public review April 2–May 3, 2026; the names of any vendors, distributors, or purchasing cooperatives involved; and any purchase orders, quotes, bids, or contracts related to the proposed purchase.
3. ALLENISD-PIA-005 — reconsideration records and Board Policy EFB. All formal reconsideration requests submitted to Allen ISD regarding library materials from January 1, 2021 through May 4, 2026; any titles removed from district collections since September 1, 2023 under House Bill 900 (88th Legislature, 2023), Senate Bill 13 (89th Legislature, 2025), community reconsideration requests, or board direction; and the district’s current Board Policy EFB Local governing library materials reconsideration challenges.
4. ALLENISD-PIA-006 — deselection and weeding records. All records reflecting titles deselected, weeded, withdrawn, or removed from any Allen ISD library collection from September 1, 2019 through May 4, 2026; any written deselection or weeding policy in use by district librarians or Library Services staff; any communications directing or recommending the removal of specific titles or categories of materials; and the total number of titles deselected each school year from 2019–2020 through 2025–2026, broken down by campus where available.
5. ALLENISD-PIA-007 — LSLAC meeting records and SB 13 compliance documentation. All meeting agendas, notices, and minutes for every meeting of the Allen ISD Local School Library Advisory Council (LSLAC) held during the 2025–2026 school year; all recorded votes and motions; any written criteria or rubric used to evaluate proposed materials; and all public notices posted for any LSLAC meeting during the 2025–2026 school year. The Local School Library Advisory Council is the parent- and community-majority council each Texas district must seat under Texas Education Code §33.025, enacted by Senate Bill 13 in 2025.
6. ALLENISD-PIA-008 — Texas Education Agency certification records. The most recently executed Allen ISD Certification of Provision of Instructional Materials submitted to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) — the state agency that oversees public primary and secondary education in Texas — including all attestations and any board ratification documentation; all Board of Trustees agenda items and recorded votes related to that certification from January 1, 2024 through May 4, 2026; and any written communications between Allen ISD and TEA regarding the district’s compliance with House Bill 900 or Senate Bill 13 from September 1, 2023 through May 4, 2026.

Each request cited Texas Government Code §552.267 and asked that any applicable fees be waived in the public interest, with written notice of estimated charges before any chargeable work proceeded. All six were sent to david.hicks@allenisd.org with a copy to communications@allenisd.org, and all six are tracked in LION’s Allen ISD PIA Master Log.

Corrections to any factual statement in this post can be sent to corrections@lionwatchtx.org.

On May 1, 2026, LION submitted public-records request ALLENISD-PIA-002 to Allen Independent School District. The request was sent to David Hicks, Chief Communications Officer and Public Information Officer for the district, under the Texas Public Information Act — Texas Government Code Chapter 552 — which gives Texas residents the right to request records from government bodies.

The request targets the procedural record of a trustee sub-committee that reviewed applicants for the Allen ISD Local School Library Advisory Council (LSLAC). An LSLAC is a community advisory body required under Texas Education Code §33.025, as amended by Senate Bill 13 of the 89th Texas Legislative Session (2025), to help ensure local community values are reflected in each school library catalog.

The agenda for the Allen ISD Board of Trustees Regular Meeting on September 22, 2025 stated that “a sub-committee of Board members met to review applicants” before the council was appointed. ALLENISD-PIA-002 seeks the documentation of how that sub-committee operated.

The request asks for six categories of records:

1. The names of all trustees who served on the LSLAC applicant-review sub-committee referenced in the September 22, 2025 board agenda.
2. The date or dates on which the sub-committee met to review LSLAC applicants.
3. Any written notice, agenda, or posting associated with the sub-committee meeting, including any notice provided under the Texas Open Meetings Act — Texas Government Code Chapter 551.
4. All documents, emails, notes, scoring sheets, rankings, evaluations, or other materials created or received by any trustee or district staff member in connection with the sub-committee’s review of LSLAC applicants.
5. All applications received from individuals seeking appointment to the 2025–2026 LSLAC, including any attachments or statements of interest submitted with each application.
6. Any communications between trustees, or between trustees and district staff, regarding LSLAC applicant selection, scoring, or appointment from July 1, 2025 through September 22, 2025.

The request asks that the records be produced in electronic format and that any applicable fees be waived under Texas Government Code §552.267 on the basis that the records serve the public interest in transparency. It also asks that, if any portion is denied, the district cite the specific statutory exception and produce non-exempt portions promptly.

Questions about LION’s open-records work can be directed to info@lionwatchtx.org.

On April 30, 2026, at 8:44 AM Central time, Allen ISD Assistant Superintendent of Learner Services Robin Wilhelm sent a second written reply to the Local Integrity Oversight Network (LION). The message acknowledged receipt of an attached “Issue Statistics” document and the public comments delivered by LION founder Jesse LeVasseur on April 27, 2026, during the Allen ISD Board’s Public Participation segment — the public-comment portion of a regular Texas school board meeting at which any resident may address the Board for up to three minutes after registering in advance.

The reply again directed LION to the District’s online Public Input Form, a Google Form opened during the 30-day public-review window tied to List 4 — the 818-title library purchase slate proposed for the May 26, 2026 Board vote. The District’s message did not address the 90-day postponement demand transmitted to the Board on April 22, 2026, and did not engage the statutory framework cited in that demand: Texas Penal Code §43.24 (sale, distribution, or display of harmful material to a minor); 13 Texas Administrative Code §4.2 (age-appropriateness standards for school library collections); or Allen ISD Board Policy EFA/EFA-R1 (the District’s Instructional Resources policy governing library selection).

The next morning, May 1, 2026, LION’s reply was sent by LION founder Jesse LeVasseur. The reply reiterated the 90-day postponement demand and stated: “All communications between LION and the District are being preserved for the public record.”

The Allen ISD board did not postpone the vote. The full email exchange is retained as primary-source evidence in the Allen ISD file.

On April 27, 2026, LION founder Jesse LeVasseur addressed the Allen Independent School District Board of Trustees during the Public Participation segment of the regular board meeting — the public-comment portion of a regular Texas school board meeting at which any resident may address the Board for up to three minutes after registering in advance. The comments restated the substance of LION’s April 22, 2026 Open Letter to the Allen ISD Board of Trustees: a request that the Board postpone its vote on the proposed 818-book library purchase (List 4) by 90 days, and the statutory framework supporting that request.

LION — Local Integrity Oversight Network — is a Texas watchdog organization that documents government conduct through public records and verified primary sources. Allen ISD’s proposed purchase was scheduled for trustee action after a thirty-day public review window. The comments delivered to the Board concentrated on three points drawn from LION’s review of the district’s own production under the Texas Public Information Act (PIA) — Texas Government Code Chapter 552, which gives Texas residents the right to request and inspect public records.

First, the volume. LION’s review identified roughly 200 titles on the 818-book list that warranted further public scrutiny. List 4 was posted for a thirty-day public review window, and the district’s own reconsideration procedure requires a separate written form for each challenged title. The comments asked the Board to consider whether thirty days was a meaningful window for the public to complete a documented title-by-title review at the scale the list itself created.

Second, the statutory framework. Texas Education Code section 33.025, enacted in its current form by Senate Bill 13 (89th Legislature, 2025), requires each Texas school district to operate a Local School Library Advisory Council (LSLAC) that reviews proposed library acquisitions, posts notice of its meetings at least 72 hours in advance, makes an audio or video recording of its proceedings, and publishes minutes on the district website within 10 business days. The comments asked the Board to verify, on the record, that the section 33.025 process had been followed for List 4 before voting.

Third, the postponement. A 90-day pause would allow the district’s LSLAC and the public to complete a documented review of the flagged titles within the framework the statute requires.

In the days that followed, the District acknowledged the comments in writing. An Allen ISD Assistant Superintendent of Learner Services replied to LION on April 27, 2026, the same day the comments were delivered, and again on April 30, 2026.

On April 27, 2026, Allen Independent School District replied to the Local Integrity Oversight Network (LION)’s April 22 Open Demand Letter. The reply was sent by Robin Wilhelm, Allen ISD’s Assistant Superintendent of Learner Services. The reply directed LION to the district’s online Public Input Form. The Public Input Form is a Google Form Allen ISD opened for the 30-day public review window on the proposed 818-title library materials purchase (List 4 — the fourth and final 2025–26 library-materials purchase list, comprising 818 titles), which closes May 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM.

The reply did not address the statutory citations in the demand letter — Texas Penal Code §43.24 (sale, distribution, or display of harmful material to a minor), 13 Texas Administrative Code §4.2 (age-appropriateness standards for school library collections), or Allen ISD Board Policy EFA/EFA-R1 (instructional resources and library materials selection). The reply did not address the 90-day postponement demand itself.

LION sent a same-day response on April 27 documenting the time burden a parent would face attempting a comparable review of the 818 titles inside Allen ISD’s 30-day window. The math, broken out by step:

• Initial screening of all 818 proposed titles at 10 minutes per title: 136 hours and 20 minutes — the equivalent of more than seventeen full eight-hour workdays.
• Reading professional and parent reviews for the roughly 200 titles LION’s preliminary screening flagged, at 50 minutes per title: 167 hours.
• Writing content summaries on those 200 flagged titles at 75 minutes per title: 250 hours.
• Filing formal reconsideration complaints on contested titles: 20 hours.

LION’s response calculated the total realistic time burden for one dedicated parent at 550 to 650 hours — the equivalent of three-and-a-half to four months of full-time work, or six-and-a-half to eight months at a part-time pace of twenty hours per week. As three exemplar Lowery Freshman Center (ninth-grade campus) titles inside the time-burden math, LION named Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley, The Danger of Small Things by Caryl Lewis, and Devils Like Us by L.T. Thompson — the same three titles cited in the April 22 demand letter.

LION’s April 27 response reiterated the original demand: an immediate postponement of all proposed 2026 library materials purchases for a minimum of ninety days from the scheduled May 26, 2026 board vote. The stated purpose of the ninety-day extension is to give the district’s Local School Library Advisory Council (LSLAC — the parent-and-community council a Texas school district must convene to make recommendations on library materials) — the council required under Texas Education Code §33.025, enacted by Senate Bill 13 (SB 13) in 2023 — sufficient time to complete individual reviews of the flagged titles, and to give parents a workable window to participate in the public review process the statute contemplates.

The April 27 exchange is the only written response Allen ISD has provided to the April 22 demand letter to date.

On April 23, 2026, LION submitted ALLENISD-PIA-001 to Allen ISD Chief Communications Officer David Hicks, with a copy to the district’s general communications address. The request was filed under the Texas Public Information Act — Texas Government Code Chapter 552 — which gives any Texas resident the right to request and inspect records held by a governmental body, including a public school district.

The request sought the documentary base for the Allen ISD Proposed Library Materials Lists (April 2026) — 818 titles proposed for purchase across the district’s elementary campuses, middle schools, the Lowery Freshman Center, and Allen High School. The lists were publicly posted by the district at sites.google.com/allenisd.org/aisdproposedlibrarymaterials. These purchase lists are reviewed by the campus and district Local School Library Advisory Council (LSLAC) — a parent- and community-member body required of every Texas school district under Texas Education Code §33.025, enacted by Senate Bill 13 in the 2025 legislative session — before the slate proceeds to the Board of Trustees for approval. The April 2026 slate is referred to internally and in this campaign as List 4.

ALLENISD-PIA-001 requested four categories of records:

1. All documents, notes, emails, memoranda, or other materials showing the exact source or origin of each book title on the April 2026 proposed lists for the Elementary Campus Collections, Middle School Campus Collections, Lowery Freshman Center Campus Collection, and Allen High School Campus Collection.
2. Any professional reviews — School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and the like — vendor catalogs, publisher recommendations, database entries, or collection-development tools used by campus librarians or district staff to select or recommend each title.
3. Any internal correspondence, emails, meeting minutes, selection worksheets, or documentation reflecting how campus librarians compiled or curated the proposed lists.
4. Any external lists, curated vendor recommendations, or third-party resources that were consulted or copied from in the creation of the proposed lists.

The request asked for production in electronic format, asked that fees be waived or quoted in advance, and asked that any denial cite the specific PIA exception relied on. The production Allen ISD returned in response to ALLENISD-PIA-001 became the documentary base for every later finding in the List 4 review.

On April 22, 2026, LION founder Jesse LeVasseur delivered an Open Letter to the seven-member Allen Independent School District (Allen ISD) Board of Trustees. The letter flagged the 818-book library materials purchase known as List 4 — the fourth annual collection of titles recommended for placement on Allen ISD shelves under the district’s Local School Library Advisory Council (LSLAC) process — and asked the board to postpone the vote pending review.

LION — Local Integrity Oversight Network — is a Texas watchdog organization that documents and publishes government conduct against the primary public record. The Open Letter opened LION’s documented engagement with Allen ISD.

The letter was addressed to Board President Polly Montgomery and the six other trustees, and copied to Superintendent Robin Bullock. It identified the same statutory framework that governs the LSLAC — Texas Education Code §33.025, enacted by Senate Bill 13 in the 2025 legislative session — and asked the board to defer action on List 4 until the underlying recommendation process could be examined on the public record.

The Open Letter framed three concerns at a high level: that the volume of List 4 (818 titles) outpaced any meaningful per-title review the council could have conducted in a single cycle; that no LSLAC agendas, minutes, or recordings had been located in any public Allen ISD posting; and that the council’s composition and selection process warranted documentation before another bulk approval moved forward. The letter did not allege a violation. It asked the board to pause and produce the record.

One day later, on April 23, 2026, LION filed its first formal Texas Public Information Act (PIA) request — Texas Government Code Chapter 552, which gives Texas residents the right to request records held by governmental bodies — with Allen ISD Chief Communications Officer and Public Information Officer David Hicks, seeking the source materials underlying the proposed library lists. That request, logged as ALLENISD-PIA-001, is the subject of a separate update.

Press inquiries: press@lionwatchtx.org. Corrections: corrections@lionwatchtx.org.

On April 22, 2026, LION founder Jesse LeVasseur transmitted an Open Demand Letter to the full Allen Independent School District Board of Trustees at the board’s shared address, teamof8@allenisd.org, and to Allen ISD’s Library Services department. The letter asked the board to postpone its scheduled vote on the district’s proposed 818-title library purchase (List 4 — the district’s fourth annual library acquisition slate under the post-SB 13 review process) by ninety days.

Allen ISD’s Local School Library Advisory Council — LSLAC, the citizen body each Texas school district is required to seat under Senate Bill 13 (89th Legislature, 2025) and Texas Education Code §33.025 — reviews proposed library purchases and recommends them to the board for approval. List 4 was scheduled for board vote on May 26, 2026, following the 30-day public-review window required by Texas Education Code §33.026(a)(2).

The letter framed the postponement request around three sources of authority that govern Allen ISD’s collection-development decisions:

• 13 Texas Administrative Code §4.2, the state library-collection standards adopted by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission under House Bill 900 (88th Legislature, 2023), the Texas reader-protection law that directed TSLAC to set school-library collection standards. The rule requires that school library materials be age-appropriate and suitable for the campus and students served.
• Texas Penal Code §43.24, which criminalizes the sale, distribution, or display of material harmful to a minor.
• Allen ISD Board Policy EFA and EFA-R1, the corresponding administrative regulation — the district’s adopted instructional-resources and library-materials standards.

At the time of delivery the letter carried seven public sign-ons collected through LION’s online sign-on form. The full text of the letter and the sign-on list were transmitted to the board, LSLAC, and Library Services under cover of the same transmittal.

The Allen ISD board did not postpone the vote. The follow-on record — the district’s reply, the audit of List 4 against the district’s own production records, and the May 26 board vote — was documented in later updates to this page.

Press inquiries: press@lionwatchtx.org. Corrections: corrections@lionwatchtx.org.