Over the past two years, extremists have been working to ban books in Katy ISD. Many of them don’t even have children who attend Katy ISD schools. Now some of them are running for seats on our school board.

Books that have come under attack in Katy ISD include titles like New Kid by Jerry Craft, This is Your Time by Ruby Bridges, and most recently, Brains! Not Just a Zombie Snack by Stacy McAnulty.

The majority of parents trust professional Katy ISD educators and librarians to offer age-appropriate instructional resources to our public school students. Parents can request alternative assignments or books if an instructional resource clashes with their family’s personal beliefs. However, the right of one parent to restrict access of a resource, lesson or book for their own child, should never extend to anyone else’s kid.

Based on conversations with neighbors and friends, it seems clear that a majority of Katy ISD voters do not support extremism, but the majority of the less than 10% of voters who vote in school board elections, likely do.

Hyper-partisan PACs like Moms for America, the Republican Party of Texas PAC and the American Principles Project are working hard to get their endorsed candidates elected to the (supposedly) non-partisan Katy ISD school board. Texas Truth Project, a group dubbed an “anti-government extremist organization” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, lists several individuals running for Katy ISD’s school board as their preferred candidates.

It’s time to pick a side. If you oppose censorship and extremism in Katy ISD, and support all students’ rights to read and to receive high quality education, then please vote for candidates who best reflect those values, on or before May 6.

Anne Russey is a local small business owner and Katy ISD mom.