Texas School Districts Maintain Current Religious Expression Policies

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The school boards of Bryan and College Station Independent School Districts in Texas have decided to continue their current local policies and practices regarding religious expression by students and employees, rejecting a new state law option to designate specific times and places for prayer and religious activities.

Why it matters

This decision maintains the status quo in these school districts, allowing students and staff to continue exercising religious freedom through existing policies. It also highlights the ongoing debate over the role of religion in public schools and the balance between individual rights and district-level control.

The details

In response to a new state law, Senate Bill 11, the school boards of Bryan ISD and College Station ISD both reviewed the option to establish designated times and locations for religious expression. After discussions, both districts opted to maintain their current local policies rather than adopt the state's more restrictive approach. The Bryan ISD board spent 90 minutes discussing the issue, with board members sharing their personal religious beliefs, before unanimously rejecting the state option and reaffirming their existing practices.

• The Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 11 in 2025.
• The Bryan ISD school board discussed the issue at their February 23, 2026 meeting.
• The College Station ISD school board discussed the issue at their February 17, 2026 meeting.