Parent tells trustees required sixth-grade summer reading includes topics she calls 'CRT'; asks for oversight

During public comment at the Lake Travis ISD Board of Trustees meeting, Rachel Mills addressed trustees about required sixth-grade summer reading materials she said include content she and others view as critical race theory (CRT). Mills said the required reading list over the past two years included the book Black Brother and that she believes the content amounts to "CRT" being introduced in required assignments. She said only "a couple" of elementary schools received physical copies of the title while other schools did not, and she asked why distribution was inconsistent across the district. Mills told trustees she has heard from parents who withdrew students; she said she knows "10 children that did not reenlist for the fall semester" and described that as part of a larger fallout she attributes in part to the reading choices. She called for required summer-reading books to be approved independently of the current process and asked to serve on an oversight committee to review materials. The board chair read standard public-comment guidance noting the board cannot deliberate on non-agenda items during public comment and that complaints should follow district complaint policies. Mills thanked trustees and requested district follow-up contact about how the matter would be corrected. Why it matters: parent concerns about curriculum and reading lists prompted a request for oversight and parity in distribution of materials; the remarks were made during public comment, limiting board response under the Open Meetings Act. No formal action or response was taken during the public-comment period; the chair reminded the speaker of the district complaint and public participation policies and offered staff contact information for follow-up.