Clear Creek ISD board declines to adopt Senate Bill 11 policy, cites legal concerns
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Summary
Trustees voted unanimously to decline adopting a policy required by Senate Bill 11, with a board member warning the bill would require parental consent that could amount to waiving constitutional challenges.
The Clear Creek Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 7–0 to decline adopting a policy aligned to Senate Bill 11, after trustees and staff raised legal concerns about the bill's requirements.
Ms. McCormack Cannon introduced the resolution required by the statute, which calls for a recorded board vote on whether to adopt a policy providing for a period of prayer and the reading of religious texts during the school day under the Texas Education Code.
Dr. Ingle, a member of the board, told trustees the rights at issue already exist under federal and state law and argued the proposed statute imposes "onerous requirements". She highlighted two specific concerns: the bill's parental-consent requirement and language she characterized as asking parents to waive their right to bring an Establishment Clause challenge.
"We would be wary ever to ask a school board to ask parents to waive their constitutional rights," Dr. Ingle said, arguing the board already has policies that allow students to pray and form noncurricular religious clubs without a new policy.
Trustee Larson moved to adopt the resolution declining to implement a new policy under Senate Bill 11 and to retain existing district policy and practice. The board approved the resolution on a recorded/hand vote, 7–0.
The board's action is a recorded determination required by the statute; the district did not adopt a separate SB11-aligned policy during the meeting.