A company based in Grapevine has donated signs reading, "In God We Trust," to Carroll ISD. Patriot Mobile made the donation during a school board meeting Monday.
"As you know, 'In God we trust' is our nation's official motto," Patriot Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Scott Coburn said. "As you also may know, in 2021, Texas joined a growing number of states in passing Senate Bill 797 into law. This law requires K-through-12 public schools to display our nation's motto in a conspicuous place in each school if donated."
Patriot Mobile donated the signs showing the motto above an American flag.
Three people spoke during the public comment period. All were in favor of the signs.
"I'm not sure how people can complain on one hand about these signs that are Texas law and on the other hand allow [Black Lives Matter] signs and then even complain about students having school board signs on personal cars," one woman said. "We're just all over the place."
The group, Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition, was urging people to sign up to speak against accepting the signs.
"A Patriot Mobile presentation about integrating more Christian conservative values into CISD and considerations about a custodial salary raise, (which is highly deserved). Sign up to speak and let your voice be heard! Hope to see you there," the organization wrote on Twitter.
Several people replied with one person saying politics should be kept out of classrooms.
Another wrote, "I will not give any southlake [sic] businesses my business as long as this crap is being successful. It is giving the town a horrible reputation!"
Coburn, company leadership and school board members took pictures with the signs after the donation. He said each school would receive a framed poster.
"A full 15% of Patriot Mobile's employees live here in Southlake," Coburn said. "We live here. Our kids attend school here. We love Southlake; we love our Dragons."
The company's political action committee, Patriot Mobile Action, spent $500,000 on school board races this May in the Carroll, Grapevine-Colleyville, Keller and Mansfield Independent School Districts. After the election, the PAC said all 11 of its candidates had won.
Carroll ISD had called the meeting to discuss next year's budget proposal. The district will adopt the plan later this month.
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