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Evant ISD board declines mandated campus prayer policy, adopts resolution affirming student expression
Summary
The board voted to decline adoption of a policy requiring a period of prayer and reading of religious texts as provided by Section 25.0823 of the Education Code, declined a related resolution, and approved a separate resolution affirming student expression of faith. All votes recorded in the minutes carried 5-0.
At its Feb. 16 meeting the Evant ISD Board of Trustees voted to decline adopting a policy that would require every campus to provide a period of prayer and the reading of the Bible or another religious text as described in Section 25.0823 of the Education Code. The motion to 'Decline to Adopt policy requiring every campus of Evant ISD to provide a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious text as provided by Section 25.0823, Education code' was made by Keli Torres and seconded by Dimmy Weeks and carried 5-0.
The board also voted, by motion of Keli Torres seconded by Dimmy Weeks, to decline a separate 'Resolution Adopting Policy Relating to a Period of Prayer and Reading of the Bible or Other Religious Text.' That motion carried 5-0. Immediately after those votes, the board approved a 'Resolution Affirming Student Expression of Faith' on a motion by Stevan Stanford, seconded by Lura Taylor; the minutes record that vote as 5-0.
The public minutes cite Section 25.0823 of the Education Code in connection with the proposed policy; no additional language of the declined policy or the adopted resolution appears in the minutes. The record does not show debate excerpts, statements from community speakers on this topic, or any legal analysis in the public minutes. The actions recorded are procedural votes reflected in the board's public record.
