San Elizario ISD board rejects daily prayer/reading resolution tied to Senate Bill 11

The San Elizario Independent School District Board of Trustees voted to decline a resolution to establish a daily period for prayer or reading of religious texts under Senate Bill 11.

Ms. Blanca Cruz presented the proposed resolution. Board President Eduardo Chavez said the district must remain a welcoming environment: "school should be a safe place for everybody, regardless of status or belief." Trustee Alexis Tellez said students "should be comfortable in our schools," while Trustee Lorenzo Luevano noted that "all students are already able to participate in prayer and reading of religious text during current non-instructional time." Trustee Eduardo Chavez moved "to not establish a period of prayer or reading of religious texts," a motion seconded by Axel Lopez. The motion passed with five votes in favor and two trustees absent.

The board’s decision leaves district practice unchanged: trustees recorded no directive to implement a districtwide daily period of prayer or religious-text reading and instead relied on existing noninstructional opportunities for voluntary participation.

The resolution drew public input before the discussion: two emailed comments opposing Senate Bill 11 were read into the record, one by Trustee Lorenzo Luevano and another by Board President Eduardo Chavez during the open forum.

The board’s formal vote was recorded as: Eduardo Chavez — Yea; Monica Chavez — Yea; Myrna Hernandez — Absent; Sandra Licon — Absent; Axel Lopez — Yea; Lorenzo Luevano — Yea; Alexis Tellez — Yea (Yea: 5, Nay: 0, Absent: 2).