State legislators made sweeping changes this year to how schools in North Texas will function on a daily basis.
Many school districts have already approved changes to their policies or are preparing to do so.
Here’s everything you need to know about the big changes coming to schools.
The Ten Commandments must be displayed
Senate Bill 10 requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed on a 16- by 20-inch poster that is clearly legible and visible in all classrooms if they are donated to the school. Schools can, but are not required to, purchase or print their own posters.
“The Ten Commandments will be on Frisco ISD classroom walls by the start of school,” according to an email Frisco ISD sent to parents. “This is the only religious text that will be permitted to be displayed in Frisco ISD classrooms unless otherwise tied to a Texas Essential Knowledge standard appropriate for the student’s grade level.”
A Frisco ISD spokesperson told KERA News over email the district ordered 4,805 commandment posters for their 77 campuses. The district spent a total of $1,800 on the posters.
While the law doesn’t go into effect until Sept. 1, some districts like Frisco and DeSoto have decided to put up the commandments ahead of the school year.
“As a public school district, DeSoto ISD is obligated to follow state law while also ensuring that all students feel welcomed, respected, and supported regardless of their personal beliefs,” Dr. Usamah Rodgers, superintendent of schools, said in a press release.
A Denton ISD spokesperson told KERA News in an email they have not received any poster donations yet.
“Should they be received, they will be processed in accordance with district procedures and in compliance with recent legislation,” the spokesperson said.
Critics have called the law unconstitutional and an attack on the idea of separation of church and state, while supporters say the commandments are a cornerstone to Western morality.
A similar law passed by Louisiana was blocked by a federal judge in November 2024 who called it “unconstitutional on its face,” according to the Associated Press. SB 10 is being challenged by a lawsuit organized by civil liberty unions on behalf of 16 Texas families.
A North Texas activist group is also challenging the law. Dallas, Desoto and Lancaster ISDs are named in that lawsuit. SB 10 requires the attorney general to defend any school district facing lawsuits over the bill.
Student personal devices banned
House Bill 1481 bans students from using their phones, laptops, smartwatches and wireless earbuds at school.
Students cannot use the device during any school hours – including lunch and passing periods. When students use laptops at school, it can only be done on school-issued laptops.
Supporters of the law say it will help students focus and reduce online bullying. Critics say it will affect the ability for parents to contact their kids at school. Frisco’s policy states students can be contacted through the school’s front office, and a student can use their phone during a “genuine emergency.”
Most schools will confiscate the phone if a student is caught with the device out and have it returned to the parent or student at the end of the day.
Dallas ISD, which implemented its ban in June in anticipation of the state law, will charge a fee to parents for repeat offences. On a second, third and fourth confiscation, fines of $5, $10 and $15 will be charged respectively.
Denton ISD’s new code of conduct, approved at a July 29 board meeting, states students could face suspension or be put into a disciplinary program (DAEP) for serious violations of the device ban.
Fort Worth ISD outlined its policy on its website and coined a slogan to follow the new rule: “Put it Away, Learn Today.”
LGBTQ clubs banned
Schools will also not approve or sponsor any student clubs based on “sexual orientation or gender identity,” in accordance with SB 12. The law also requires parents give written consent before a student joins any school club.
Richard Hopley, a Frisco parent and medical doctor, told KERA News in an email he was “disgusted” with the ban on LGBTQ groups.
“I am the parent of two children in the LGBT demographic. My own daughter found support and community in an LGBT student group,” Hopley said. “I watched this shy girl grow, as the LGBT group gave her a safe place to be herself, to feel less alone, and to grow into a confident, compassionate young person. She met several mentors who were able to advise and inspire her to not feel ashamed and instead be proud of her sexuality.”
He said the ban punches down on already marginalized groups who feel oppressed.
School discipline
Under HB 6, students can now face in-school suspension for as long as the school sees fit with a review every 10 days. Previously, in-school suspension was limited to three days.
Also, whenever a student is removed from a class by a teacher, that student cannot be returned to the class by the principal without the written consent of the teacher and a conference between the teacher and student.
A spokesperson for the Texas State Teachers Association, a statewide teacher’s union, said over email the association opposed HB 6 because it will allow students who are expelled to be put in a virtual learning program indefinitely.
“Even when they are being punished, students should have some educational supervision and not be left to sit alone in front of a computer, where they may do nothing but waste time all day,” the spokesperson said.
They were also upset that disruptive behavior was not more clearly defined.
“‘Disruptive behavior’ is a pretty subjective reason for expelling a student,” the spokesperson said.
STAAR test
The Texas State Legislature began a special session on July 21 focusing on 18 agenda items. One of those is eliminating the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness – or STAAR – test, which has long been criticized for putting too much pressure on students.
A bill to eliminate the test originally passed the House and Senate in the normal session, but legislators disagreed on what to replace the STAAR test with, according to the Texas Tribune. Legislators now have until Aug. 19 to agree on a replacement or risk the bill dying again.
Dylan Duke is KERA’s summer 2025 SPJ news intern. Got a tip? Email Dylan Duke at dduke@kera.org.
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