Northwest ISD declines to adopt Senate Bill 11 "period of prayer" resolution; administration cites legal concerns
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Summary
After a legal overview, the board voted 7-0 not to adopt a resolution implementing a state-mandated period of prayer and reading of religious texts on campus, with administration advising the action raised constitutional and practical issues.
The Northwest ISD Board of Trustees voted unanimously to decline adoption of a resolution related to Senate Bill 11 that would have established a district‑sponsored period of prayer and reading of religious texts during the school day.
District counsel and administrators reviewed the statutory requirements and federal legal precedents and advised the board that existing law already protects student and staff private religious expression while cautioning that the Senate Bill 11 procedures would require written parental waivers and segregated observance that raise constitutional concerns. The presenter observed the First Amendment prohibits government endorsement of religion and cited Supreme Court and Fifth Circuit precedent protecting student private prayer but limiting government‑sponsored religious activities in public schools.
Administration recommended the board decline the Senate Bill 11 resolution, noting the district already permits students to pray, organize religious clubs, and read religious texts during noninstructional time and that staff accommodations are handled under federal employment law. "Students are free to read the Bible, the Torah, or the Quran during the school day at times when they're not doing other active learning," the presenter said during the legal overview. The administration also advised that Senate Bill 11 would require districts to collect written parental waivers and to segregate participating students from nonparticipating students, a requirement administrators described as constitutionally and operationally problematic.
After discussion, Trustee Schluter moved and the board unanimously declined to adopt the proposed resolution. Administrators said the decision does not limit students’ existing rights to voluntary, student‑initiated prayer, religious clubs or private reading; it means the district will not implement the specific Senate Bill 11 procedure that, administration argued, would create legal and practical complications.
Trustees thanked the administration for a detailed legal review and invited continued outreach to families about existing options for voluntary religious expression on campus.