43 elementary schools.

17 middle schools.

12 high schools.

3 special program centers.

There are a total of 75 schools in Frisco ISD with 75 different campuses and 75 different looks. 

But courtesy of the 87th Texas State Legislation and Senate Bill 797, they all share something in common: a “In God We Trust” poster. 

Signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on Sept. 7, 2021, SB797 mandates that every public school put up a “In God We Trust” poster if it has been donated by a private organization or individual.

“We had a couple of community groups reach out and offer to gift us these signs,” Frisco ISD Government Affairs Chair Danny Stockton said at the September school board meeting. “Then we had an anonymous donor that donated money to us to print them ourselves and so that we were able to do that very quickly.”

The recent donation of the posters has sparked an array of opinions from people around the district according to FISD Board of Trustees President Rene Archambault.

“We’ve had people that have been very excited about the posters going up on campuses and we’ve had families that are not happy about the signs,” Archambault said at the same school board meeting. “So as with everything there’s always going to be kind of a groundswell for both sides, but we were very grateful to receive the donation.”

Sophomore Suhaib Sabir believes the school being required to put up the poster is harmless, as the poster celebrates the school’s diversity rather than attacking it. 

“I’m content with the school being required to put the poster up,” Sabir said. “I feel like the poster is interpretable in multiple ways and religions and that’s a good thing, not bad. There was no specification or association of Christianity particularly. As a Muslim, it can easily be put into Islam’s perspective and I can apply it to my daily life here at school. In my worship of God, whether that be through the 5 daily prayers or practicing of faith, I can see the poster as an encouraging message to remember my faith.” 

It’s not what the signs say that’s bothersome to junior Shruti Bhoyar. 

“I think that a lot of the time religion and politics get mixed when they shouldn’t,” Bhoyar said.

“A lot of people base their ethics and moral values on religion or what they follow, but they don’t differentiate between what their religion is and what their beliefs are. So then they let that influence the decisions they are making and it’s more that people’s ideologies are based on their religion and they unconsciously or consciously bring that to their political views.”

Meanwhile, freshman Adani Adams views the poster through a non-religious lens. 

“I think it’s very motivational for students to see,” Adams said. “Sometimes seeing the poster can improve a good day or even turn a bad day into a good one.”

Regardless of the differing opinions students share, Humanities teacher Sarah Wiseman offers a piece of advice to both staff and students.

“To everyone I would say, try to think about how you can show dignity and respect to your fellow human kind,” Wiseman said.

Despite the varying views on campus, no complaints have been registered with campus administration according to Assistant Principal Tyler Wicke.  

“There’s probably some people that disagree with it, but they also understand that we are doing nothing more than following state law,” Wicke said. “It’s not a personal decision by anybody on the campus or district level, it’s quite literally out of our hands.”