Van Alstyne ISD parents and taxpayers have a right to know exactly what materials are in our children’s school libraries.

On April 17, 2026, LION submitted a Texas Public Information Act request for complete electronic exports of the full library catalogs at every campus (Partin Elementary, Sanford Elementary, Van Alstyne Middle, Junior High, and High School) plus any tied curricula or recommended reading lists.

On April 20, the District responded with Invoice #JM-01 — a flat $75 charge for “3 hours of labor.”

This charge violates Texas law:

• Texas Government Code §552.272 prohibits fees for electronic records when no programming or data manipulation is required.
• Van Alstyne ISD uses the modern Surpass Cloud OPAC system, which has built-in tools to export full catalogs in CSV or Excel format in minutes.
• The $25/hour rate also exceeds the Attorney General’s standard rate.

School library transparency is squarely in the public interest (§552.267). Parents should not face any barrier to reviewing what books and materials are available to students.

LION sent a detailed follow-up on April 23 citing the statutes and Surpass Cloud documentation. Additionally, LION filed a formal overcharge complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s Open Records Division.

We will continue to follow this closely and report the outcome.

Parents and taxpayers deserve straight answers — not obstacles.

Do the right thing. Tell the truth. Be bold.