The Katy Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 6-0 Monday to allow district administrators to accept donated posters that comply with Senate Bill 10 and store them at the district’s Education Support Center for later placement. The motion — approved after an extended public-comment period and legal briefing — authorizes the superintendent to accept donations without requiring each individual donation to return to the board for approval.

The vote followed more than two hours of public comment in which parents, teachers and residents offered conflicting views about whether posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms would violate the Constitution or strengthen character education. Many speakers urged the board to delay or reject the posters while litigation over Senate Bill 10 plays out; others urged compliance with the state law and offered to donate materials.

Supporters said the posters promote character and are a low-cost supplement to existing values instruction. “Be not afraid of the 10 Commandments in our schools,” said Victor Perez, a community member who said he intended to donate posters. “They have proven to be a premier character education.”

Opponents including parents and district employees described the posters as a governmental endorsement of a single religious tradition and urged caution. “The 10 Commandments are inherently tied to Judaism and Christianity,” said Shefali Shetty, a parent and PTA member. “This gives the impression that Katy ISD is endorsing one religion over all others.” Anne Russi, a parent, asked the board to wait until courts resolve the law’s constitutionality: “I am asking you all to put the rights of all Katy ISD students, parents, and staff members ahead of the partisan political interests of the state.”

Board counsel and district staff acknowledged the unsettled legal landscape. Trustees were informed that a federal judge in San Antonio enjoined the law for several districts, while a Fifth Circuit ruling in a similar Louisiana case found a comparable statute facially unconstitutional. The Texas attorney general has advised districts not subject to a specific injunction to comply with SB 10; staff told trustees that accepting donations and holding posters at the ESC for standardized processing would allow compliance while creating a consistent administrative process.

Trustees emphasized procedural safeguards. The posters will be received at the ESC, inspected for compliance with the statutory format described in SB 10, and documented on district donation reports. Administration said donated posters would be placed in classrooms sequentially at each campus rather than by individual solicitation by teachers or staff.

The board’s action does not address final legal outcomes. Staff warned trustees that a later court ruling could require removal of displays; the attorney general has indicated the state will defend compliant districts on certain claims, but litigation remains possible.

The board’s motion to authorize the superintendent to accept donated SB 10 posters passed 6-0. The board’s donation reports will list the donor names and items in subsequent public documentation.