Prop 15 is one of 17 ballot measures Texas voters are deciding on this election. Credit: Shutterstock / Frame Stock Footage
With early voting underway on a slate on amendments to the Texas Constitution, advocates warn that Proposition 15 on the ballot would give parents unparalleled and dangerous influence over public school educators.
“This proposition is not about protecting parents, it’s about provisioning politicians with a constitutional weapon to intrude on the family sphere and to target the most vulnerable minor in crisis — specifically, immigrant youth and those seeking essential healthcare out-of-state,” Fund Texas Choice Executive Director Anna Rupani said on a press call this week.
If passed, Prop 15 would amend the state constitution to give parents the right “to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing” and “to nurture and protect” the child, as presented on the ballot.
Although it might sound harmless, the vague language could expose schools to lawsuits for teaching a curriculum that conflicts with a parent’s individual beliefs. The wording also could allow the state to intervene in important family decisions, said Darcy Caballero, a government relations and political director at Planned Parenthood Texas Votes.
“When something is this broad and this unclear, it’s not parents who end up getting the final say under this amendment — it’s politicians, judges, CPS and state agencies,” Caballero said. “This isn’t even about helping parents — it’s about putting the state in the middle of family life.”
Prop 15 was added to the ballot after the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature passed it during the most recent session. State Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Wallisville, authored the Senate version, while Valoree Sawnson, R-Spring, sponsored its House companion.
Conservative religious groups including the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Texas Christian Life Commission, the Family Freedom Project and the Texas Public Policy Foundation have come out in support of the amendment.
Prop 15 is just one of 17 ballot measures Texas voters are deciding on this election. More information about these propositions is available in the 2025 Voter Guide from the San Antonio Chapter of the League of Women Voters.
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