Shannon Holmes, Ed.D, executive director of the Association of Texas Professional Educators, issues the following statement following news reports of the Williamson County Commissioners Court’s discussion of withholding Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding from Leander and Round Rock ISDs:

“ATPE implores the Williamson County Commissioners Court not to withhold CARES Act funding from school districts over concerns about the content of books in campus libraries. Congress included funding for school districts in the CARES Act to help educators address the myriad challenges presented by the pandemic, which range from enacting safety protocols to addressing the long-term effects of school closures and remote instruction on student learning. In other words, the CARES Act has nothing to do with ongoing discussions about the content housed within school libraries. 

“Like the state-level elected officials who started this round of the culture wars, the Williamson County commissioners have succumbed to temptation, seizing an opportunity to make headlines in advance of the 2022 elections. Their actions do not serve the students or voters of Williamson County.” 

About the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
Founded in 1980, ATPE is the leading educators’ association in Texas with approximately 100,000 members statewide. With its strong collaborative philosophy, ATPE speaks for classroom teachers, administrators, and future, retired, and para-educators and works to create better opportunities for Texas’ five million public school students. | atpe.org