On September 1, 2025, Senate Bill 10 will go into effect in all Texas public schools. This bill requires that each and every classroom must display a 16 by 20 durable poster of the Ten Commandments with a font that is large enough to read.
“Religion shouldn’t be posted around the school,” senior Joseph Crute said. “Religion is something that should be discussed and discovered at home. School also already teaches us how to act. There are posters up everywhere in the school as reminders. There are also college and professional resources available to us and taught. Some things should be left to parents at home.”
Five other states also have similar laws to Senate Bill 10 including Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah. Louisiana was the first state to incorporate this act into law while Utah and South Carolina are heavily considering implementing a similar law in their states and schools. However, Arkansas’ federal judge, Timothy L. Brooks blocked the law (Act 573) from going into effect, naming it unconstitutional. In Texas, there are some debates going on about the constitutionality of the bill. Some say the bill is constitutional while others say that the bill violates separation of church and state, and others fall right in-between.
“I am a Christian, but everyone has the choice to choose their religion and explore,” junior Dillon Webber said. “Religion shouldn’t be forced upon anyone, of course I want people to follow Christianity, but not like this.”
Another perspective stems from the structure of schools. Schools don’t just teach education. They also teach discipline. School discipline ranges from how to emotionally control ourselves, especially professionally, and how to act socially to others in an appropriate manner. While the Ten Commandments also teach this, it truly is religious principles.
“I believe the Ten Commandments are a great reminder of how we should all be acting,” biology teacher Kathy Peel said. “But it is a violation of separation of church and state.”
The term “separation of church and state” dates all the way back to the founding father Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson outlined a “Wall of separation” for the government from religious institutions. The United States government may not endorse one religion or be influenced by religious schools or practices. The First Amendment of the Constitution states freedom of religion. Now some argue that implementing the ten commandments is freedom of religion and is completely constitutional. However, others feel this law could make students feel excluded.
“If we’re going to include one religion, then we have to include all religions,” English teacher Grant Hetherington said. “School is about all the kids, not just some of them. We come to school to learn and to be inclusive. By no means is the bill meant to be negative, but it has negative consequences.”
On Wednesday, August 20,2025, Judge Fred Biery blocked the bill in San Antonio. He named the bill to violate the free clause exercise of religion in the First Amendment. Additionally, sixteen families in the Greater San Antonio, Dallas, Austin and Houston areas backing this blocking argue that the bill allows for religious coercion which goes against the first amendment.
“I think having the Ten Commandments in each classroom will pull people towards Christianity and help with behavior issues,” senior Jace Chevalier said. “More people are moving away from religion, and we see that. Also, we have Christianity in the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Senate Bill 10 orders that while schools don’t have to pay for the posters, they are not allowed to reject donations. In the North Houston area, several conservative and Christian groups have been working to deliver posters to schools. However, neighboring Conroe ISD has put a pause on the donated posters and will not do any further action with the posters until further guidance by the courts is provided.
“At face value, the Ten Commandments are a great logical appeal that serve as a good moral structure,” senior Braden Peet said. “I understand why those with different religions may oppose having the Ten Commandments around schools, but they are beneficial and valuable teachings to have in the classrooms.”
In 2023, Senate Bill 17 was passed which unfortunately revoked the DEI policies that first went into law under former president Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 during the Civil Rights Movement. DEI, meaning diversity, equality and inclusivity is a fundamental law in the United States that helped to push for a better society. The purpose of DEI can be reflected in what happened at Little Rock’s Central High School in Arkansas. In 1957, Brown v Board was overturned which desegregated schools. Unfortunately, this led to a mass crowd that gathered outside the school preventing the Little Rock Nine from attending.
While not to the degree of what happened in 1957, some feel Senate Bill 10 could lead to indoctrination of religious beliefs leaving the students who don’t follow Christianity to feel alienated in schools. Due to Senate Bill 17 however, this is allowed as inclusivity is not required by institutions.
“The bill signals that those who don’t follow Christianity aren’t as important as Christians,” history teacher Whitney Van Cleave said. “It creates an environment of segregation leaving students to feel like they don’t fit in. I teach separation of church and state, we have that rule for a reason.”
