Relating to a policy adopted by a school district or open-enrollment charter school regarding the expression of dates.
Summary
SB 2617 would require the board of trustees of each Texas school district and the governing body of each open-enrollment charter school to adopt and implement a policy requiring the use of the terms "Anno Domini" (AD) and "Before Christ" (BC) when expressing dates during student instruction. The bill also prohibits districts and charter schools from purchasing or selecting curriculum materials that express dates in a way inconsistent with that policy.
The bill applies beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. It amends the Education Code by adding a new section to Chapter 29, creating a statewide requirement for date notation in instructional settings and in curriculum selection decisions for public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools.
Impact
SB 2617 would add a new mandate to the Texas Education Code affecting school district and charter school instructional policies and curriculum procurement. It would require local education boards to adopt a specific date-expression policy and would limit their discretion in choosing instructional materials that use alternative date formats, such as BCE/CE or other non-AD/BC conventions. The bill would therefore affect public school governance, curriculum review, and instructional content standards across Texas public schools and charter schools.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill advanced with majority support in the Senate, passing second and third readings after rules were suspended, with votes of 22-9 and 23-8. That pattern indicates meaningful support among senators, but not broad consensus. No committee transcript is available, so the record does not show detailed public arguments, but the vote margins suggest the measure was generally favored by supporters while drawing a notable minority of opposition.
Contention
The main point of contention is the bill's requirement that schools use AD and BC specifically, rather than allowing other commonly used date conventions. Critics are likely to object to the mandate as a restriction on curriculum choices and instructional flexibility, and may view it as unnecessary or symbolic rather than educationally substantive. Supporters likely see it as a way to standardize historical date references in classrooms and curriculum materials. The split Senate votes indicate the issue was politically divisive, even though the bill moved forward.
Relating to requiring independent school districts, home-rule school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools to comply with legally required policies.
Relating to required independent school districts, home-rule school districts, and open-enrollment charter schools to comply with legally required policies.
Relating to charter schools, including the admission, enrollment, and employment policies of and the applicability of certain laws to open-enrollment charter schools.
Relating to charter schools, including the admission, enrollment, and employment policies of and the applicability of certain laws to open-enrollment charter schools.