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State law requires Ten Commandments posters; Boerne ISD told campuses may field donations
Summary
TASB advised Boerne ISD trustees Aug. 27 that recent statute prescribes exact Ten Commandments language for donated posters and that some districts already are receiving and displaying donated materials; TASB had recommended centralizing handling but said the amendment was not accepted.
Boerne ISD trustees were told Aug. 27 that a new law requires campuses to display a prescribed version of the Ten Commandments if donated and that districts should prepare for donor inquiries.
Kelly Rosti of the Texas Association of School Boards said some districts have been enjoined from placing the posters but others have already accepted donations and displayed them. She read the statutory text the legislature specified and said the law requires exact wording: "I am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me..." She said TASB had requested an amendment to require donations to be handled centrally to avoid confusion at campus front offices, but that change was not accepted.
Why it matters: campuses may receive individual donations and front-office staff will be responsible for verifying whether donated materials match the prescribed text. Rosti said the statute's precise wording could create administrative burdens for front-office personnel and suggested central office handling would be preferable but is not mandated by the law as passed.
Trustees were not asked to take action during the workshop; TASB offered to assist districts with implementation questions and policy language.
No board votes or motions related to this matter were recorded at the meeting.
