Dallas ISD trustees are scheduled to take a recorded vote on February 26 on whether to adopt an optional daily period of prayer and religious reading authorized under Senate Bill 11.<\/p>\n
CBS News Texas reported<\/a> that the district has signaled it will not adopt the policy, though trustees have not yet taken formal action.<\/p>\n State law requires every Texas public school board and open-enrollment charter school governing body to take a recorded vote within six months of the law\u2019s effective date.<\/p>\n The Legislature approved Senate Bill 11 during the 2025 session, and the measure applies beginning with the 2025\u20132026 school year.<\/p>\n As previously reported by The Dallas Express<\/a>, Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 11 in 2025 as part of a broader education reform package that included school choice expansion and additional protections for religious expression in public schools.<\/p>\n What Senate Bill 11 Provides<\/p>\n Under Senate Bill 11<\/a>, districts may adopt a policy that provides a daily period of prayer and the reading of the Bible or other religious texts. The law does not require districts to implement the period.<\/p>\n If adopted:<\/p>\n Participation must be voluntary<\/p>\n A parent or guardian must submit a signed consent form before a student may participate<\/p>\n The consent form must acknowledge that participation is optional and include a waiver of certain legal claims<\/p>\n Parents or employees may revoke consent at any time<\/p>\n Prayer may not be broadcast over a public address system<\/p>\n The period may not replace instructional time<\/p>\n Districts must ensure prayer does not occur in the physical presence or hearing of individuals who have not submitted consent<\/p>\n The Texas attorney general must defend districts that adopt the policy, and if representing the district, the state assumes liability for related legal costs<\/p>\n The statute also affirms that students retain the right to individually and voluntarily pray outside the designated period under Texas Education Code Section 25.901, which provides that a public school student has an \u201cabsolute right to individually, voluntarily, and silently pray or meditate in school.\u201d<\/p>\n Other North Texas Districts Decide<\/p>\n Grand Prairie ISD, Irving ISD, and Cleburne ISD voted against adopting the optional policy this week, according<\/a> to CBS News Texas.<\/p>\n