AUSTIN (LN) — Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a statewide investigation on Wednesday into 30 independent school districts to ensure compliance with new state laws mandating the display of the Ten Commandments and requiring school boards to vote on implementing prayer time.
The probe targets districts including Austin, Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth, San Antonio-area districts like Alamo Heights and North East, and major urban centers such as El Paso, Lubbock, and Corpus Christi. The full list includes 30 districts, from Abilene to Wichita Falls.
Paxton’s office demanded that the districts provide proof they have taken a board vote on implementing SB 11, which requires trustees to decide whether to designate time for prayer and the reading of the Bible or other religious texts. The demands also require districts to produce documents regarding their policies on SB 10, which mandates the display of donated copies of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
“I will always fight for students’ fundamental right to pray in our schools and work to ensure that Texas kids are able to learn from the Ten Commandments daily,” Paxton said in a statement. “Texas schools districts must comply with Texas law by displaying the Ten Commandments and taking a school board vote regarding the implementation of prayer time in schools. I will never stop defending our students’ religious freedom and the moral foundation of our nation.”
SB 10, passed during the 89th Legislative Session, took effect on September 1, 2025. The law requires public schools to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments that meet specific statutory specifications. SB 11, which also recently took effect, mandates that the board of trustees for each independent school district vote on whether to implement a designated time for prayer and religious text reading.
The list of investigated districts includes those previously involved in litigation challenging SB 10. That legal battle concluded with a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upholding the constitutionality of SB 10, allowing the law to take effect statewide.
Paxton has previously called on districts to put prayer back in schools following the enactment of SB 11. The attorney general’s office did not specify a deadline for the districts to respond to the document demands or outline potential penalties for non-compliance.