Texas Students Head Back to School with New Laws

By CHRIS DRIVER
Baptist Progress Editor

Student using the cell phone lock bag

Student using the cell phone lock bag

Back to school always comes with new rules, expectations and experiences for students. Each year it is almost always a new grade and new teachers. Sometimes it is a new school or campus. But this year Texas students are all adjusting to several new laws that are impacting them in more personal ways than ever before.

Student using the cell phone lock bag

Student using the cell phone lock bag

The 2025-2026 Texas school year got underway in August with many new laws directly affecting a wide variety of issues ranging from religious displays, school safety and nutrition, parental access to library content, curriculum and student use of personal communication devices. Two in particular are garnering much national attention and disagreement: House Bill 1481 and Senate Bill 10.

House Bill 1481 is undoubtedly the most talked-about and heavily debated new law because it dramatically impacts the students so personally. The bill prohibits the use of all personal communication devices by students during the school day while on campus. The ban includes cell phones, smart watches and all similar devices. Each district is tasked with adopting written policies concerning how to enforce the law as well as discipline for violations of the law by September 18.
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Enforcing the ban has produced a wide variety of creative solutions. The most notable solution comes in the form of a cell phone lock bag where students are given secure bags to place their devices in that is locked and secured by a code and unlocked by staff at the end of the day. So far, it seems that there is no perfect solution, and it will continue to be a work in progress.

The Ten Commandments will be displayed in classrooms

Perhaps the most controversial new law comes in the form of Senate Bill 10 which mandates every classroom display the Ten Commandments in the form of a poster at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall. While obviously embraced and celebrated by Christians and most conservatives, the bill has already come under attack by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other civil rights groups arguing it is a violation of the Constitution. The ACLU has filed a federal lawsuit challenging its constitutionality and it has already been blocked in several school districts following a recent federal court decision. Needless to say, that fight will continue.

Several other bills were passed that are meant to challenge and secure controversial curriculum and programs in schools. Senate Bill 12 bans diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in public schools and restricts instruction on topics such as gender identity and sexual orientation. House Bill 229 defines “man” and “woman” based on biological sex for all state records which would include school documents. The social and spiritual implications for these bills are obviously meaningful.
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What does all this ultimately mean for Texas students? Time will tell. But the fact that our lawmakers are attempting to address these difficult and controversial issues in a way that honors God and makes the social and spiritual safety of our students a priority gives us hope that this school year might be the start of better and safer times for Texas students. Let’s commit to pray for the students and faculty in our Texas public schools this school year. 

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