Carrollton‑Farmers Branch ISD adopts resolution to implement Senate Bill 12, directs staff to comply as policies are finalized

Carrollton‑Farmers Branch ISD trustees voted unanimously Sept. 18 to adopt a resolution directing district staff and contractors to comply with Senate Bill 12 and related requirements while the district finalizes local policies.

The action, taken during the Board of Trustees’ 5:30 p.m. meeting, directs district employees and contractors to follow the law as written and authorizes the district to provide certification of compliance by Sept. 30 on items listed in the resolution while policy language is drafted, reviewed by staff and subcommittees, and brought to the board for approval.

Why it matters: Senate Bill 12 — adopted by the 89th Texas Legislature and effective Sept. 1, 2025 — contains numerous new requirements that affect instruction, parental‑access to records, student health notifications and the handling of certain topics in classrooms and extracurricular activities. District officials told trustees the volume and complexity of new requirements, and the staggered timing of TEA and TASB guidance, made it necessary to allow staff time to craft local policies that comply with state law.

District staff and board leaders said the legislation is unusually large in scope. Mr. Marsh, a district staff presenter, told the board there were “1,482 education related bills” submitted in the session, of which “103 were passed,” and that the passed bills contain “over 230 actions that must take place” for school districts. He said TASB (the Texas Association of School Boards) is preparing policy updates and that some TASB policy guidance and forms are expected in mid‑October; several items in the district’s resolution reference drafts that TASB will update.

The resolution adopted by trustees lists directives including requiring written parent consent before providing human‑sexuality instruction, posting syllabi and instructional plans online at the start of each semester, parental access to a child’s records (including library and health records) unless a separate law requires withholding, limits on district‑sponsored clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and prohibitions on assigning “diversity, equity and inclusion” duties to employees, contractors or volunteers except as required by law. It also instructs the superintendent to provide an online portal for parent comments and asks the board to prioritize public comments at the start of meetings.

Trustees and staff emphasized the resolution does not replace the board’s normal policy‑approval process. Dr. Eldredge, the district superintendent, said policies will still “go through the subcommittee, go[] through staff” and “ultimately [] come to the board for discussion,” and that “no policy can be put in place unless authorized and approved by the majority of the board.” He added, “I can assure you that the staff is working diligently and dedicated to doing this entire process with fidelity, with clear communication, and to be in compliance.”

Public comment: A parent, Lisa Sutter, spoke during the audience for guests, saying her child — a 504 student with type‑1 diabetes — had been denied care on Sept. 8 because a form had not been signed. Sutter urged the board to reconsider the district’s interpretation and implementation of SB12 and read a statement citing authors of the law and TEA guidance. The board’s meeting chair said administration would follow up with Sutter about her concern.

Implementation details and timing cited by staff: district presenters told trustees that some TEA (Texas Education Agency) guidance and TASB policy text arrived late (staff cited receiving some information Aug. 28 with an initial Sept. 1 effective date for certain items). Mr. Marsh told the board TASB legal issued a model resolution so districts could certify compliance by Sept. 30 while allowing local policy vetting to continue when TASB’s policy updates arrive in mid‑October. The district also said it will run a report the morning after the meeting to show parent response rates for the forms required by SB12 and that campuses are contacting parents who have not yet submitted consent forms.

Board action: Trustee Ileana Garza Rojas moved to adopt the resolution; the motion was seconded (name recorded in the transcript as “Mr. Schectman”). The roll call was recorded by the chair as seven in favor, zero opposed; the resolution was adopted.

What remains unsettled: Trustees and staff repeatedly described ongoing ambiguity in state guidance and inconsistent timing of TEA and TASB materials. The district said it has not added additional staff to the implementation effort and that it is relying on current staff and TASB/TEA guidance to complete policy language and training. The superintendent and staff told trustees the district will not withhold emergency care and that ordinary, non‑emergency student care procedures remain in place while the district finalizes policy details. The board also encouraged parents to consult the TEA legislative update page and said the district will continue communicating directly with families.

The board adjourned the meeting at 5:54 p.m.; trustees noted a second public meeting at 6 p.m. to address district goals and student‑outcomes language.

(Direct quotes in this story are taken from the meeting transcript and are attributed to the speakers who used those words in the record.)