Ken Paxton launches investigation into Texas school districts' non-compliance with Ten Commandments, prayer laws

By Ian M. Giatti, Christian Post Reporter Monday, May 11, 2026

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into more than two dozen public school districts to verify compliance with two of the state’s most pro-Christian and controversial laws.

In a press statement, Paxton said the investigation “aims to ensure that schools are displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms in compliance with” Senate Bill 10 (SB 10) and Senate Bill 11 (SB 11).

SB 10, which was signed into law last June, took effect in September 2025 and requires public schools to display donated copies of the Ten Commandments meeting specific size and formatting requirements. SB 11, which also became effective last year, requires each school district's board of trustees to vote on whether to implement a designated time during the school day for prayer and reading of the Bible or other religious texts.

According to Paxton’s office, the probe targets the following school districts: Alamo Heights, North East, Austin, Cypress-Fairbanks, Lackland, Lake Travis, Fort Bend, Houston, Dripping Springs, Plano, Northside, Conroe, Galveston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Lubbock, Wichita Falls, McAllen, Amarillo, El Paso, Corpus Christi, United, Texarkana, Victoria, Waco, Abilene, San Angelo, Brownsville, and Beaumont. Many of these districts were previously involved in litigation over SB 10, according to Paxton.

As part of the investigation, Paxton’s office has demanded that the listed districts provide documentation proving a board vote on SB 11, as well as records showing compliance — or lack thereof — with the Ten Commandments display requirement under SB 10.

“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 school 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.”

The Christian Post reached out Friday to a number of the school districts identified by the attorney general’s office for noncompliance. 

A spokesman for Conroe ISD said the school district initially complied with SB 10 before removing the posters in response to a court order amid ongoing legal challenges to the law.

“Conroe ISD is currently in communication with the Office of the Attorney General to determine why the district was included in the recent investigation announcement, particularly given that the district previously displayed the posters, removed them due to pending litigation, and has continued following written guidance provided directly from the Attorney General’s Office to Conroe ISD,” the district told CP Friday.

As far as SB 11, the Conroe ISD board voted in February not to adopt the resolution. 

A spokesman for another school district, Galveston ISD, said the latest court decision on SB 10 wasn’t released until after the district’s school board meeting and said he expects the bill to be on the agenda for the next board meeting on May 20.