San Angelo School Board members unanimously voted Monday evening to reject a Texas Senate bill that would have mandated that every campus set a daily time period for voluntary prayer and the reading of the Bible or other religious texts.
Critics of the statewide bill say it blurs the separation of church and state, but supporters say it enhances religious liberty. Districts and schools across the state have until March 1 to vote on the mandated religious period resolution, Senate Bill 11.
As board members discussed the proposal, they considered the practical challenges of coordinating and implementing the time periods across all SAISD campuses.
After the meeting, SAISD Board President Dr. Taylor Kingman stressed that the U.S. Constitution already protects religious liberty and said the board was concerned about unforeseen consequences.
Many school districts across Texas have decided against implementing a designated prayer period. Districts fear the bill would create a logistical nightmare for districts and assert that students can already pray in school.
