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Cedar Hill ISD board declines to adopt SB11-designated daily prayer/reading time, votes 6-1
Summary
After questions about constraints and equity, the administration recommended the board decline to adopt a policy designating a daily time for prayer or reading religious texts; trustees voted 6-1 in favor of declining (one no vote).
Trustees debated an action item tied to Senate Bill 11 (89th Legislature), which allows school boards to designate a time during the school day for students to pray or read religious texts. Administration recommended the board decline to adopt such a policy, arguing it would constrain students' existing religious freedom.
An administrator explained the difference between allowing students to pray at their discretion and creating a board-mandated daily time: establishing a slot "would have to give them a certain time so they will only be allowed to do it during that certain time during the day," the administrator said, and the recommendation was "not to establish a policy because you're actually putting their freedom in a box." Trustees asked follow-up questions about operational details (time span, classroom instruction conflicts and possible legal exposure).
Trustee Denisha Williams moved to decline adopting the SB11-style resolution (codified by Texas Education Code 25.0823); Trustee Bianca Brea Cook seconded. The board voted to decline adopting the policy 6-1 (one no vote recorded as Dr. Singleton). The motion was recorded as "decline to adopt a resolution for the CHISD as described in SB11 89th Legislature, codified by Texas Education Code 25.0823."
