By LYNETTE SOWELL
Cove Leader-Press
Copperas Cove ISD will not be implementing a daily prayer time in its schools, after the CCISD board of trustees approved a resolution that it would not.
After Senate Bill 11 was passed by the Texas legislature in June 2025 and took effect Sept. 1, 2025, it was required that school boards of public and charter schools must take a record vote on whether or not to implement these prayer periods within six months of the law’s effective date.
Although CCISD, like some other school districts, already have a moment of silence at the beginning of each school day, this law allows for structured, school-organized time specifically for prayer or reading religious text. And even teachers and staff may be involved in or facilitate the sessions. Participation is voluntary for students.
However, this specific daily activity won’t be added to the school day in CCISD. The board voted as part of its consent agenda to approve a resolution that states it is not required to have a daily prayer time in schools.
During the Feb. 9 workshop, Superintendent Brent Hawkins shared his view if the district should implement the addition to the schedule.
Presently, students can pray during lunch, between classes, and before or after school, and there is already a moment of silence in place, Hawkins said. He added that there have been no complaints to the contrary since he became superintendent on Jan. 14, 2025.
“I’ve not had anybody complain in my office, I’ve had numerous parents come through. I’ve seen people in H-E-B, I’ve talked to people all over this community, and nobody has complained to me about they were denied an opportunity to pray,” Hawkins told the board at that time.
“I’m an old sinner. I’m saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, and so please understand that you’ll get criticized because of the recommendation that I’m going to make. Nonetheless, it’s the one that I’m going to make and because I believe it’s right in my heart. Public schools are built so that children can have their own religion. We don’t need to indoctrinate kids in Christianity. I believe that if you are a light unto the world, people will be drawn to you, but you don’t have to indoctrinate them in Islam or any of other religions in the world, that’s not our place. That’s the place of a parent and so far I’ve had no one that has said that we have stifled their right to pray.”
He added that there is a resolution endorsed by numerous pastors from numerous denominations that are advocating for the exact same recommendation that he is.
Currently, religious practices are allowed as long as they do not disrupt the learning environment – which also includes type of clothing.
It was also discussed that voting against structured prayer could be seen as restricting religious freedom.
“I think there’s been a lot of gaslighting that went on. As a middle school student, I learned about Western Civilization, I learned about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam and public schools, but I didn’t convert to Islam. I learned the history of that and that there are different cultures and that it’s important that people believe differently than I do. Now, I think I’m right, you know, and I’ve been a teacher that has taught social studies through my career, but I didn’t indoctrinate anybody. I taught the standard set forth by the state of Texas. I think there’s been kind of a disconnect and a miss on that, because I think you continue to see on Facebook that we’re indoctrinating students. And I’m not saying that doesn’t go on somewhere. I’m just saying that I’ve never observed it in any school that I worked at.”
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