More than 160 faith leaders from across the state have signed an open letter to Texas school board members. The letter urges them not to adopt rules carving out time for prayer and bible readings in public and charter schools. As Texas Public Radio reports, the letter asks school board members statewide to vote no on adopting the school prayer rules as allowed by Senate Bill 11, signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 21, 2025.
During debate among lawmakers in both chambers in May 2025, supporters of the prayer measure pointed to the fact the legislation is entirely voluntary and applies to all religions, two stipulations intended to prevent any potential claims of interfering with anyone’s constitutional rights to freedom of religion.
Despite efforts to foresee and avoid potential litigation, Texas State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin, remained a vocal critic of SB 11. The former Sunday school teacher, who is now a declared candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, said of the bill at the time, "It does cross the lines of the separation of church and state, and so therefore, I am against this bill."
Reverend Laura Mayo is the senior minister of Covenant Church in Houston and the mother of two students in the Houston Independent School District. “One of my professors in graduate school, Reverend Dr. James Dunn, used to say, ‘As long as there are math tests, there will be prayer in school.’ Students can already pray. They can already form religious clubs. This is not needed. It does not solve a problem. It creates problems.” The deadline for school boards to vote on school prayer policies under the law is March 1, 2026. Pearland I-S-D’s school board has already declined to adopt the new rules.”
In Texas, 61% of adults support teacher-led Christian prayers—making it one of 14 states (mostly in the South) where approval exceeds 60% . Meanwhile, twelve states feature majority opposition, and sixteen remain evenly split.
The results of a recent Pew Research Center analysis reveals deep divisions in the U.S. over teacher-led Christian prayers in public schools. Nationally, 52% of adults approve of the practice—while 46% oppose it—according to data from Pew’s 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study. But, sentiment varies sharply by region.
