Katy ISD board frames resolution to affirm students' voluntary religious expression, decline district‑run daily prayer period

The Katy ISD board discussed a formal resolution on Feb. 16 that affirms student and employee free‑exercise rights and states the district will not adopt a policy requiring a district‑sponsored, campus‑wide daily period of prayer under Senate Bill 11.

Board leadership said the resolution was intended to satisfy SB 11’s procedural requirement (a board record vote by March 1, 2026) while protecting the district’s longstanding practice of allowing voluntary, student‑initiated religious expression during appropriate non‑instructional time. The proposed resolution directs the superintendent to ensure district practices support religious expression in compliance with state and federal law and explicitly states the board will not adopt a policy requiring every campus to provide a daily period of prayer.

Trustees and members of the public discussed how such accommodations currently operate at secondary and elementary schools, clarifying that non‑instructional times (advisory, lunch, before/after school) remain the typical opportunities for student‑led activities and that principals can make individual accommodations when appropriate. Trustees asked administration to circulate the resolution and guidance to campus principals so practices are consistently understood at the campus level.

Administrators emphasized the resolution is not a new policy but a formal record of the board’s position under SB 11, intended to protect voluntary religious practice while avoiding time/place/manner restrictions that could label or separate students by belief.

Next steps: administration said it would circulate the approved resolution and supporting guidance for principals and staff.