Katy school trustees voted Monday to remove students from a book review committee tasked with deciding whether a particular book or books should remain in school libraries.

The vote was an amendment to the policy that trustees approved at their regularly scheduled board meeting.

Proponents of having students on the committee argued that such an arrangement gives students a chance to ensure that student perspectives were being heard and considered. But when the matter came up for discussion late in the meeting, one trustee, Leah Wilson, said young adults deserved a seat at the table when it came to young adult materials.

Some other trustees remained firm in their opposition.

“I absolutely oppose students being on the committee,” trustee Rebecca Fox said, adding that while students are 18 years of age and adults in some ways, they remain students and, while students, they are also children.

“In Katy ISD, we teach children, not adults,” Fox said. “I don’t believe children should be making decisions of this magnitude for other children.”

Fox said she spoke with four area school districts—Cy-Fair, Fort Bend, Lamar CISD and Spring Branch—and was told they do not use students on such committees.

“It’s a dealbreaker for me if students are on the committee,” Fox said.

Trustee Victor Perez also opposed having students on the challenge committee.

“To me, this is about parental rights,” Perez said. “It dilutes the voice of the parents.”

Perez said that he, like Fox, has spoken informally with other school districts about the policy.

“It’s not even on the radar,” Perez said.

Fox and Perez, along with trustees Dawn Champagne and Lance Redmon voted against student representation on the panel. Wilson, along with trustees Greg Schulte and Ashley Vann, voted for keeping student representation.

A district spokesman said the policy is expected to be posted on the district website in the next few days.

The district keeps a list of books it has removed from shelves on its website, the URL for which is katyisd.org/Page/4311.