<\/p>\n
FW – September 15, 2004 – Burleson High School students pray together outside the school early Wednesday morning, at the national student prayer event, See You At the Pole, which began in Burleson in 1990. (Special to the Star-Telegram\/Jessica Kourkounis)<\/p>\n
Jessica Kourkounis<\/p>\n
Special to the Star-Telegram\/Jes<\/p>\n
A new state law requiring Texas school boards to vote on whether to create designated prayer time during the school day is on the agenda in Fort Worth on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Fort Worth ISD staff is recommending the board vote no, because the district already has a policy allowing students to pray and engage in religious expression during the school day and on school property.<\/p>\n
Senate Bill 11, passed during last year\u2019s legislative session, requires Texas school boards to weigh a decision on creating a prayer policy by March 1. The bill, authored by Republican Sen. Phil King of Weatherford, said boards must vote on the issue, but they aren\u2019t required to adopt it.<\/p>\n
King also wrote the law requiring schools to hang the Ten Commandments in a \u201cconspicuous place in each classroom of the school.\u201d That legislation has been challenged by several lawsuits<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fort Worth schools\u2019 policy on prayer<\/p>\n Fort Worth ISD\u2019s existing policy<\/a> says \u201ca public school student has an absolute right to individually, voluntarily, and silently pray or meditate in school in a manner that does not disrupt the instructional or other activities of the school. A student shall not be required or coerced to engage in or refrain from such prayer or meditation during any school activity.\u201d<\/p>\n The policy also allows students to organize prayer groups and religious clubs or gatherings before, during and after the school day. A student\u2019s religious viewpoint must be treated the same way as a student\u2019s secular viewpoint, and district officials are barred from discriminating against a student based on their religious views.<\/p>\n The restrictions of a new policy, as outlined in Senate Bill 11, require parents to submit a consent form waiving their right to take legal action against the district in regards to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prevents the government from establishing a religion. Students must also engage in the prayer or reading outside the presence of a student who doesn\u2019t have a signed consent form.<\/p>\n The Fort Worth ISD school board meets at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.<\/p>\n