Canutillo ISD board votes not to adopt local policy to implement Texas' SB 11 after student opposition

The Canutillo Independent School District Board of Trustees voted Feb. 24 not to adopt a policy to implement Senate Bill 11, the 1989 Texas statute that asks districts to consider creating a daily period during the school day for voluntary prayer or reading of religious text.

The motion — made by Trustee Borrego and seconded by Trustee Rodriguez — followed public comment from high‑school students who urged the board to reject local implementation. "This bill may sound harmless, but this is exactly what can happen if you vote yes for SB 11," said Jacob Lozano, a senior at Northwest Early College High School, adding later in his remarks, "They will be 6 feet under." Other student speakers, including Nina Sandrade and Ana Sandoval, told trustees that organized school prayer risks peer pressure and could undermine the district's commitment to religious diversity.

Superintendent Jose Borrego summarized the statute and explained the board's role in determining policy. He told trustees that if adopted, any implementation would have to be voluntary, neutral and compliant with the First Amendment. Trustees who supported the motion to decline the policy said those constitutional guardrails, the practical requirement to document consent forms at each campus, and the potential interruption of instructional time weighed in favor of not adopting the measure. "I strongly believe in separation of church and state," Trustee Borrego said during debate.

Trustee Barnes said she voted "yes" on the motion (i.e., to not create the policy) because she was unsure how the district could implement the requirement without interrupting instruction. Other trustees raised concerns about staff time to manage consent forms and the risk of coercion or peer pressure in classrooms.

The motion passed with a recorded vote in favor by Trustees Barnes, Borrego, Maldonado, Martinez, Ortega and Rodriguez. Trustee Zuniga was absent. The administration noted it would continue to remind staff and students of their existing rights to bring and privately read religious material and of existing protections for student expression.

The board's action completes the statutory obligation to consider the matter; if a board had opted not to act, minutes would have likewise recorded that outcome. Trustees said they would rely on legal counsel and district procedures to ensure students' religious freedoms are protected outside any formal policy adoption, and to monitor any related concerns that arise at campuses.