The Wichita Falls ISD School Board chose Tuesday night to decline to participate in district-sponsored, faith-based activities spelled out in Texas Senate Bill 11.
SB 11, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in June 2025, requires school boards to either approve or decline the option to set aside time and space each day for prayer or reading of scriptures. Each district across the state has the choice to opt into SB 11 with no penalty for declining to opt in.
SB 11’s requirements for prayer, scripture reading at schools
Had the district chosen to exercise the right to require schools to set aside time for prayer and scripture reading, the practice would have been subject to a number of rules per SB 11.
First, the meetings would not be mandatory for any student. Only students whose parents had submitted written permission would have been allowed — though not required — to participate.
No students without parental permission to participate would have been allowed in the room. The meetings also would have been required to be held out of hearing distance of students who did not have parental permission to participate.
Other stipulations include the prohibition of using public address systems for prayer or scripture reading and a provision that the required time for prayer and scripture reading could not cut into or overlap with instructional time.
In practice, that means that if the district had adopted the policy, the designated times would have had to be either before or after the school day.
WFISD trustees cite existing faith opportunities
Following a lengthy deliberation, the WFISD board voted 7-0 to decline to require schools to set aside time for prayer and scripture reading, noting that schools and students have other opportunities to express their faith in academic or academic-adjacent environments.
Multiple Wichita Falls elementary schools have iterations of the Good News Club, a faith-based program focused on building character. Young Life and Fellowship of Christian Athletes are other faith-based organizations operating in the district.
Additionally, School Board members indicated the district has complied with Texas Senate Bill 10, which requires the display of the Ten Commandments in all classrooms. Students also have a protected right to pray in school, and the district has seen multiple student-led faith-based events, according to the board.
School Board President Mark Lukert said after the meeting that the board felt WFISD provided enough faith-related opportunities for students without requiring campuses to set aside daily time for prayer and scripture reading.
“Because I think that the board agrees that we’re already doing what needs to be done in that area, and to add something else will be —,” Lukert paused to address the other board members. “Y’all, if I’m saying something wrong, speak up.”
He continuing, saying, “To add something else is going to require a lot of changes, additional staff. We just feel like what we’ve got going is good.”
Initially, at-large School Board member Katherine McGregor motioned to accept the SB 11 provisions although she clarified both at the time and after the meeting that her motion was only for the sake of allowing discussion.
Per district board meeting rules, discussion on decisions is limited to when a motion is on the table. After the board discussed the potential effects of SB 11, McGregor retracted her motion.
Place 4 Trustee John Barnard then motioned to decline the SB 11 provisions, and the board voted 7-0 to decline them.
“I think ultimately our kids currently have the freedom to act on prayer at any time, and our staff is able to join them if they do so,” Barnard said after the meeting, also noting the organizations open to students.
“We respect the individual’s right to believe what they believe,” Place 2 Trustee Diann Scroggins added. “We’re not trying to push any particular beliefs though we may have our own.”
Place 1 School Board member Susan Grisel also emphasized, both during and after the meeting, that she felt there were enough faith-based activities available to students without the district creating more.
“Those are available to our kids already and that if our kids do want to have a moment of prayer, that’s allowed,” Grisel said. “And we already have a moment of silence.”
SB 11 and religions
During the meeting, Place 5 Trustee Jim Johnson brought up the question of what faiths would be represented should the district adopt the SB 11 provisions.
“It’s not gonna happen in Wichita Falls, but what would happen if that prayer session was led by a Muslim?” Johnson said during the discussion.
“I hope that’s rhetorical ’cause I don’t have an answer,” Assistant Superintendent of Operations Scot Hafley said, chuckling a little as he responded.
Scroggins and Superintendent Donny Lee responded to Johnson’s question by saying that any religion could participate in or lead the required prayer and scripture-reading time if the board approved the SB 11 provisions.
“I think Baptist — you know Christian,” Johnson said. “But it may not be that way tomorrow.”
“No, it may not,” Scroggins said.
Hafley then brought up issues the district would have to face with supervising the opted-in children before school, in addition to keeping them separate from students whose parents had not opted their children into the prayer and scripture time.
After the meeting, Johnson said he brought up a prayer session or scripture reading potentially being led by someone of a non-Christian faith because the district would have to shoulder a heavier load in keeping students both divided into separate groups and accommodated based on their religions.
Johnson said students are free to pray during school regardless of what other staff or students are present, but he worried about the effects of the SB 11 provisions — particularly those requiring nonparticipating students to be out of earshot of the required prayer or scripture reading activities.
Lee echoed Johnson’s sentiment after the meeting, adding the district wanted to avoid any perception of religious favoritism.
“We respect the right for all of our students to have freedom of religion, freedom of expression,” Lee said. “And Wichita Falls ISD already has that opportunity for students to engage in prayer of whatever religion and faith that they so choose.”
He later added, “We just didn’t want to put any undue burden on our staff or make it seem like we were favoring one religion over the next.”
“I think we have a strong Judeo-Christian community here, and all faiths are welcome in our district,” McGregor said.
Waiting for a TEA decision
After the meeting, Lee said the district is still waiting to hear a decision from the Texas Education Agency on whether the state agency will possibly take over the district or take other action.
Initially, the district expected to receive word by early February, but no decision has been passed to the district yet, Lee said.
Because of academic issues, state law dictates Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath must either close Hirschi Middle School or appoint a board of managers for the district as a whole.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: WFISD school board declines to require prayer, cites existing opportunities
Reporting by Cecil Witherspoon, Special to the Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
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