Royse City ISD board votes 5–0 not to adopt Senate Bill 11 resolution on designated daily prayer time

The Royse City Independent School District Board of Trustees voted 5–0 to decline adopting the resolution authorized by Senate Bill 11 that would establish a daily time at each campus for prayer and the reading of religious texts, district staff said.

Jennifer Valines, who presented the item on behalf of district staff, summarized the statute and legal context, saying Senate Bill 11 adds Texas Education Code §25.0823 and requires each district board to take a recorded vote on or before 03/01/2026 to either adopt the statutory resolution or decline to establish a designated daily time. Valines told trustees that "students retain the right to voluntarily pray, read religious texts, or engage in other forms of religious expression, provided that such activities are student initiated and nondisruptive and conducted during the appropriate non instructional time during school." She said staff recommended the board affirm current practices and decline to adopt the new resolution.

A board member asked whether declining the resolution would restrict prayer; Valines and a trustee clarified that the decision would not remove individuals' First Amendment rights or existing district accommodations. The Chair then moved that Royse City ISD not adopt the resolution set out in the statute; a board member identified in the transcript only as "Amanda" seconded the motion. By a show of hands the board voted 5–0 to decline adoption. The Chair recorded the vote and announced the outcome.

The transcript does not specify the meeting date. The board later announced it would convene into closed session and adjourned the regular meeting.