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Bastrop ISD board declines to adopt daily prayer and reading policy required by SB 11
Summary
After hearing administration concerns about implementation burden, the board voted unanimously to decline adopting the policy described in Senate Bill 11 (Texas Education Code Sec. 25.0823). Several public commenters also addressed SB 11 during open forum.
Chief Academic Officer Jennifer Eberly outlined the district’s obligations under Senate Bill 11 and recommended the board decline to adopt a policy creating a daily period of prayer and reading, citing administrative and operational difficulties. Eberly told trustees the bill "creates significant administrative and operational challenges for school districts, including difficulties in tracking compliance, additional reporting burdens, and potential conflicts with existing policies and state mandates." The administration recommended formally declining participation to avoid diverting staff resources from instructional priorities.
President Ashley Mutschink moved and Priscilla Ruiz seconded the administration’s recommendation to decline to adopt the SB 11 policy under Texas Education Code Sec. 25.0823. The board voted by show of hands and the motion carried unanimously. The minutes list multiple public forum speakers who raised SB 11—Maggie Gordon, Rodrigo Ontiveros, Martin Conrardy, Isabella Molina-Conrardy and Ellen Tanner—and one speaker who addressed student protests (Carol Spencer).
