2026 State of Ten Commandments in Public Schools: Laws, Litigation & Local Implementation
What the law requires. What the courts ordered. What local records establish.
By WorthFighting Research · Published and verified October 9, 2026 · Selected records, not a nationwide compliance census
What the audited records show
Published October 9, 2026. The eight-state audit finds four enacted requirement laws—Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Alabama—but does not count them as four identical, currently implemented classroom systems. Alabama’s duty begins in 2027. Six Arkansas districts are enjoined. Texas and Louisiana have different appellate outcomes and different design discretion.
Three audited states—Tennessee, North Dakota and South Dakota—have authorization provisions. Ohio SB 34 remains a proposal in the reviewed legislative record. These are counts within the audited set, not national totals.
Eight-state comparison
| State | Law | Display rule | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Enacted | Required | State flagship published |
| Louisiana | Enacted | Required | State flagship published |
| Arkansas | Enacted | Required, subject to funding and court orders | State flagship published |
| Alabama | Enacted | Required; future display start | State flagship published |
| Tennessee | Enacted | Authorized, not required | Database only; no thin state page |
| North Dakota | Enacted | Authorized, not required | Database only; no thin state page |
| South Dakota | Enacted | Authorized, not required | Database only; no thin state page |
| Ohio | Proposed | Proposed | Database only; no thin state page |
Funding and discretion change the local story
Texas permits district purchases but does not require them, and requires acceptance of qualifying donated posters. Eanes, CFISD and College Station document donation-based implementation; CFISD and College Station explicitly decline district purchasing. Those local decisions should not be restated as a statewide public-funds ban.
Louisiana does not require authorities to spend their own funds and provides a donation route. Its K–12 law includes a context statement and leaves the nature of the display to local authorities. Livingston Parish’s resolution records a decision and delegation; it does not certify that every classroom is finished.
Arkansas uses donations or voluntary contributions for initial copies, with a statutory public-fund exception for replacing nonconforming copies. Alabama makes the future duty dependent on available donations as determined by the State Superintendent and requires an approved design. Approved Alabama template and district preparation evidence remain unlocated in this audit.
Texas SB 10 — enrolled law · Louisiana R.S. 17:2124 — Act 676 · Arkansas Act 573 — approved text · Alabama SB 99 — enrolled Act 2026-428 · Cypress-Fairbanks ISD — August 3 family notice · College Station ISD — 89th session implementation · Eanes ISD — Ten Commandments family FAQ · Livingston Parish School Board — March 19 minutesFive cases, three pending Supreme Court petitions
Nathan reached an en banc merits judgment rejecting federal claims. Roake’s en banc disposition instead vacated preliminary relief as premature. Stinson produced a permanent injunction against six defendants, with Eighth Circuit argument held September 22 and no opinion returned by the official case search at the baseline.
The official Supreme Court dockets verify three pending petitions: Nathan 26-257, Brumley v. Roake 25-1360 and Dier 26-256. The next known response deadlines are October 19 for 25-1360 and October 28 for the other two. None is marked granted in this audit. Roth’s state-law complaint is verified, but its current operative order is not.
Nathan — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion · Roake — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion · Stinson — permanent-injunction opinion, Document 188 · Eighth Circuit — September 2026 oral arguments · Eighth Circuit — opinions for 26-1722 · Supreme Court docket 26-257 · Supreme Court docket 25-1360 · Supreme Court docket 26-256 · Roth v. Texas — original petitionWhat counts as verified implementation?
The strongest historical completion finding is Conway: the Stinson court recorded 850 posters and placement in every classroom before Conway was enjoined. Lakeside’s actual classroom display is also documented, but countywide donation supply does not prove every Lakeside room was complete. Both are now tracked under the named-defendant injunction.
Eanes describes installation by maintenance staff. CFISD describes inventory distributed as supplies permit. College Station describes distribution for 19 schools and placement in progress. Livingston records a board directive. The six published profiles therefore contain no newly asserted “all classrooms currently complete” conclusion.
Stinson — permanent-injunction opinion, Document 188 · Eanes ISD — Ten Commandments family FAQ · Cypress-Fairbanks ISD — August 3 family notice · College Station ISD — 89th session implementation · Livingston Parish School Board — March 19 minutesDistrict opportunity audit
Editorial opportunity assessment, not search-volume measurement: four 0–5 dimensions (primary-record depth, unique local facts/parent usefulness, likely audience/search relevance, recurring update potential). Publication gates require a usable current scope and differentiated evidence; held candidates may have higher raw scores. Board votes, donations, counsel guidance, grievances and lawsuits inform record depth. Google checks covered national intent and Eanes district intent; no district-by-district ranking-position or traffic claims.
| Priority | District | Evidence / distinctiveness / audience / recurrence | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cypress-Fairbanks ISD | 5 / 5 / 5 / 4 = 19/20 | Published. Large local audience, exact placement instructions, inventory-based rollout and distinct pending state-law claims support recurring coverage. Cypress-Fairbanks ISD — August 3 family notice · Texas SB 10 — enrolled law · Texas Education Agency — legislative FAQ · Nathan — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion · Supreme Court docket 26-257 · Roth v. Texas — original petition |
| 2 | Eanes ISD | 5 / 5 / 4 / 4 = 18/20 | Published. Distinct parent guidance, donor pathway, installation account and dated communications provide a useful local answer beyond the statute. Eanes ISD — legislative updates · Eanes ISD — Ten Commandments family FAQ · Texas SB 10 — enrolled law · Texas Education Agency — legislative FAQ · Supreme Court docket 26-257 |
| 3 | Livingston Parish School Board | 5 / 4 / 4 / 4 = 17/20 | Published. Recorded vote, detailed implementation delegation and direct connection to Roake distinguish this local record. Livingston Parish School Board — March 19 minutes · Louisiana R.S. 17:2124 — Act 676 · Roake — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion · Supreme Court docket 25-1360 · Louisiana AG — HB 71 guidance and display models |
| 4 | Conway School District No. 1 | 5 / 5 / 3 / 4 = 17/20 | Published. A quantified donation and court-confirmed implementation history support a differentiated explanation of the later injunction. Stinson — permanent-injunction opinion, Document 188 · Eighth Circuit — September 2026 oral arguments · Eighth Circuit — opinions for 26-1722 · Arkansas Act 573 — approved text |
| 5 | Lakeside School District No. 9 | 5 / 5 / 3 / 3 = 16/20 | Published. Distinct donation origin, actual exposure record and later injunction date make the local history independently useful. Stinson — permanent-injunction opinion, Document 188 · Eighth Circuit — September 2026 oral arguments · Eighth Circuit — opinions for 26-1722 · Arkansas Act 573 — approved text |
| 6 | College Station ISD | 4 / 4 / 4 / 3 = 15/20 | Published. A concrete 19-school donation/distribution record supports a focused local tracker while making completion limits explicit. College Station ISD — 89th session implementation · Texas SB 10 — enrolled law · Texas Education Agency — legislative FAQ |
| 7 | Galveston ISD | 3 / 4 / 5 / 5 = 17/20 | Held. Strong litigation demand, but a reported October 2026 order was not obtained. Hold until operative order and implementation response are verified. Texas v. Galveston ISD — AG petition · Galveston ISD — September 23 board agenda · Texas Legislative Reference Library — related case register |
| 8 | Fayetteville School District No. 1 | 4 / 2 / 4 / 4 = 14/20 | Held. Lead case defendant; dedicated case page answers current legal scope. Hold district page until distinct local records add value. Stinson — permanent-injunction opinion, Document 188 · Eighth Circuit — September 2026 oral arguments |
| 9 | East Baton Rouge Parish School Board | 3 / 2 / 5 / 4 = 14/20 | Held. Roake board party; held pending current approved design, donations and classroom inventory. Roake — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion · Brumley v. Roake — conditional petition and appendix |
| 10 | Katy ISD | 2 / 3 / 5 / 3 = 13/20 | Held. Official donation-report lead; full document download blocked. No totals or current installed count inferred. Katy ISD — March 2026 donation report |
| 11 | Alamo Heights ISD | 3 / 2 / 4 / 4 = 13/20 | Held. Named appellate litigant; held pending district-specific implementation notice and board record beyond case caption. Nathan — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion · Supreme Court docket 26-257 |
| 12 | Plano ISD | 3 / 2 / 5 / 3 = 13/20 | Held. Nathan defendant with substantial local audience; local rollout evidence not deep enough for standalone page. Nathan — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion |
| 13 | St. Tammany Parish School Board | 3 / 2 / 4 / 4 = 13/20 | Held. Roake board party; no independently verified implementation vote/design in this audit. Roake — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion · Brumley v. Roake — conditional petition and appendix |
| 14 | Bentonville School District No. 6 | 3 / 2 / 4 / 3 = 12/20 | Held. Named permanent-injunction defendant; no separate local implementation or donation record verified. Stinson — permanent-injunction opinion, Document 188 |
| 15 | Springdale School District No. 50 | 3 / 2 / 4 / 3 = 12/20 | Held. Named defendant; court coverage retained in state/case table, local page held for distinct evidence. Stinson — permanent-injunction opinion, Document 188 |
| 16 | Brazosport ISD | 3 / 3 / 3 / 2 = 11/20 | Held. Official August 11, 2025 receipt for 17 campuses; held pending current placement and board records. Brazosport ISD — donated posters notice |
| 17 | Siloam Springs School District No. 21 | 3 / 2 / 3 / 3 = 11/20 | Held. Named defendant; current legal scope verified, independent local public-record depth limited. Stinson — permanent-injunction opinion, Document 188 |
| 18 | Vernon Parish School Board | 3 / 2 / 3 / 3 = 11/20 | Held. Roake board party; case sources available, district-specific implementation depth insufficient. Roake — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion · Brumley v. Roake — conditional petition and appendix |
Methodology and evidence gaps
This is an eight-state public-record audit dated October 9, 2026, not a 50-state census or a nationwide compliance survey. State coverage comprises Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, North Dakota, South Dakota and Ohio. District opportunities are a selected set in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas; Alabama district preparation sources were sought but not located at publishable depth.
Source order: enacted statute and current legislative history; operative court opinion/order and official docket; agency guidance; board minutes and district notices; party filings for allegations. News and advocacy were used to locate documents. Court-authored material hosted by counsel and board-authored legal notices are labeled by provenance. A party filing does not establish its factual allegations.
Every record keeps the law, local implementation and legal posture separate. A record’s verification date is when we checked its cited sources, not a new event date. “Not located” never means no guidance, no complaint, noncompliance or a closed case. Statutory deadlines remain distinct from donation receipt, board authorization and installed displays.
The court audit uses public opinions, Supreme Court dockets and the Eighth Circuit argument/opinion index; it is not a complete paid-docket review. Roth’s later operative order, fresh Galveston orders, Alabama’s approved template and current room inventories remain verification gaps. Future deadlines are labeled and no automatic update is implied.
Download the audit
UTF-8 CSVs retain source URLs, full field values and verification dates. Unknowns are text labels, not zero values. Reuse should preserve source provenance and scope notes.
Primary-source register
- Texas SB 10 — enrolled law2025 · Checked 2026-10-09. Education Code §1.0041; exact statutory display text and funding provisions.
- Texas Legislature — SB 10 history2025-06-20 · Checked 2026-10-09. Official history records signing June 20, 2025; controls over district/news references to June 21.
- Louisiana R.S. 17:2124 — Act 6762024-06-19 · Checked 2026-10-09. Current statute: effective June 19, 2024; K–12 and postsecondary requirements differ.
- Arkansas Act 573 — approved text2025-04-14 · Checked 2026-10-09. Page 3 visually checked: voluntary funding rule in (b), public-fund replacement exception in (c).
- Alabama SB 99 — enrolled Act 2026-4282026 · Checked 2026-10-09. §2(a): January 1, 2027 display start; §3: October 1, 2026 effective date.
- Nathan — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion2026-04-21 · Checked 2026-10-09. Court-authored opinion, No. 25-50695. Majority, concurrences and dissents are distinguished.
- Roake — Fifth Circuit en banc opinion2026-02-20 · Checked 2026-10-09. Court-authored opinion hosted by Louisiana AG; ripeness holding, not a merits endorsement.
- Stinson — permanent-injunction opinion, Document 1882026-03-16 · Checked 2026-10-09. Court-stamped primary document hosted by plaintiffs’ counsel (ACLU), not a counsel press summary. Pages 1–3, 11–14 and 25–26.
- Nathan / Cribbs Ringer — corrected certiorari petition2026-08-17 · Checked 2026-10-09. Party filing and court-opinion appendices on the Supreme Court site; arguments are not holdings.
- Brumley v. Roake — conditional petition and appendix2026-05-21 · Checked 2026-10-09. State officials and boards petition; includes questions on justiciability and facial validity.
- Texas Education Agency — legislative FAQ2026-06-18 · Checked 2026-10-09. SB 10 section addresses charters, donations, optional purchases and order-specific injunction scope.
- Eanes ISD — legislative updatesUndated live record · Checked 2026-10-09. 2026–27 district implementation notice; webpage is undated.
- Eanes ISD — Ten Commandments family FAQUndated live record · Checked 2026-10-09. Donor supplied posters for all campuses; summer installation; staff/parent communications and teacher instructions.
- Cypress-Fairbanks ISD — August 3 family notice2026-08-03 · Checked 2026-10-09. Official communications archive; English notice on Spanish-language site. Supply-based rollout and placement rules.
- College Station ISD — 89th session implementationUndated live record · Checked 2026-10-09. SB 10 section: donations for all 19 schools in fall 2025; distribution and placement in progress.
- Livingston Parish School Board — March 19 minutes2026-03-19 · Checked 2026-10-09. Board-authored minutes in April 16 legal-notice publication; page 1, item 8. Layout visually checked.
- Brazosport ISD — donated posters notice2025-08-11 · Checked 2026-10-09. Donation for every classroom across 17 campuses; receipt is not installation confirmation.
- North Dakota Century Code ch. 15.1-09Undated live record · Checked 2026-10-09. §15.1-09-33(35) authorizes displays with other historical documents; §33.5 addresses damages immunity.
- South Dakota §13-24-17.1Undated live record · Checked 2026-10-09. Authorization with equal-presentation conditions. Adjacent national-motto funding provisions are separate.
- Alabama Legislature — SB 99 enacted history2026-04-13 · Checked 2026-10-09. Live bill modal checked: enacted April 13, 2026; Act 2026-428.
- Alabama Secretary of State — Act 2026-4282026 · Checked 2026-10-09. Act link identified in the legislature’s SB 99 record.
- Tennessee HB 47 — enacted history2026-05-14 · Checked 2026-10-09. Final authorization, Public Chapter 924; signed May 7, effective July 1. Do not treat superseded Senate mandatory language as law.
- Ohio SB 34 — current status2026-02-04 · Checked 2026-10-09. Live legislature checked in browser: House Education referral February 4; House passage and governor stages incomplete.
- Ohio SB 34 — Senate-passed versionUndated live record · Checked 2026-10-09. Proposed legislation; not enacted.
- Supreme Court docket 26-2572026-09-28 · Checked 2026-10-09. Petition pending; response due October 28; latest listed filing September 28 amicus brief.
- Supreme Court docket 25-13602026-09-18 · Checked 2026-10-09. Conditional petition pending; September 18 extension sets response due October 19.
- Supreme Court docket 26-2562026-09-18 · Checked 2026-10-09. Petition August 25; September 18 extension sets response due October 28.
- Dier — court orders and complaint appendix2026-08-25 · Checked 2026-10-09. Contains April 22 dismissal, July 10 summary affirmance and September 23, 2024 complaint.
- Eighth Circuit — September 2026 oral arguments2026-09-22 · Checked 2026-10-09. No. 26-1722 argued September 22, 2026; argument is not a decision.
- Eighth Circuit — opinions for 26-17222026-10-09 · Checked 2026-10-09. Official case-opinion search returned “No Opinion Found” at baseline.
- Louisiana AG — HB 71 guidance and display modelsUndated live record · Checked 2026-10-09. Linked from official AG Article 431; four model designs, guidance letter and draft board resolution. AG legal position, not a judicial approval.
- Louisiana AG — notice after Roake decision2026-02-20 · Checked 2026-10-09. Implementation position following vacatur; links opinion and prior guidance.
- Texas AG — SB 10 legal advisory2025-10-01 · Checked 2026-10-09. Agency legal position; actual court orders control their named parties.
- Roth v. Texas — original petition2026-07-30 · Checked 2026-10-09. Court-stamped party filing located through Texas Legislative Reference Library. Allegations, not findings. Later operative orders not verified.
- Texas Legislative Reference Library — related case registerUndated live record · Checked 2026-10-09. Official index identifies Roth No. 2026-51730 and Galveston No. 25-CV-2117; a news-clip title is not the order itself.
- Texas v. Galveston ISD — AG petition2025-11-07 · Checked 2026-10-09. Party allegations about donated posters and board delay; do not infer a current merits judgment.
- Galveston ISD — September 23 board agenda2026-09-23 · Checked 2026-10-09. Includes Ten Commandments litigation action item; agenda alone is not a vote outcome.
- Katy ISD — March 2026 donation report2026-03 · Checked 2026-10-09. Official board report indexed in search; full download blocked during this audit, no totals inferred.
Update log
October 9, 2026: Initial source-checked publication. Eight states, five case records, six district trackers and 18 ranked opportunities.
This is a dated research snapshot. Future updates require a new source check; no automatic monitoring is claimed.