A letter from Northside Independent School District about how a new Texas law could affect Advanced Placement courses left one San Antonio parent rattled, worried her daughter's AP Human Geography class might quietly skip material that shows up on the national exam. Dana Fox, whose high school student is enrolled in the course, said the letter was the first indication that Senate Bill 12 could affect curriculum at her daughter's school.
Fox shared the letter on social media, and according to KSAT, thousands of parents echoed similar concerns once it started circulating. “It was concerning,” Fox said, explaining that the letter suggested AP courses might not teach all subjects because of the new law. She added that parents may lack the time, energy or expertise to teach material at home if schools hold back.
What Senate Bill 12 Actually Restricts
Senate Bill 12 prohibits school districts, open-enrollment charter schools or employees from providing or allowing instruction, guidance, activities or programming about sexual orientation or gender identity to students from prekindergarten through 12th grade, per the same KSAT report. The law also includes restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and places limits on certain topics that may be taught during the school day. State Sen. Brandon Creighton authored the bill, which the 89th Texas Legislature passed in May 2025; Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law on June 20, 2025, and it took effect on September 1, 2025, according to Wikipedia's summary of the legislative record.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had designated the bill a legislative priority in March 2025, framing it as a “Parental Bill of Rights” meant to remove diversity initiatives and limit instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in K-12 education, according to a statement from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Texas. Fox's concern centers on Texas Senate Bill 12 restricting some subject matter included on College Board AP exams from being directly addressed in classroom instruction, per the district's letter as described by KSAT.
College Board Says the Exam Itself Is Unaffected
College Board pushed back on the idea that its AP Psychology exam is threatened. A College Board spokesperson said terms or definitions related to gender or sexuality do not appear on the AP Psychology exam, and the organization said Texas schools and educators have maximum flexibility to cover AP Psychology Topic 3.3 while complying with state law, the outlet reported. College Board also said AP Psychology does not specify instruction or activities related to gender or sexuality, and that Topic 3.3 has been part of the course for decades.
Still, College Board maintains firm national standards on the subject. The organization has said a course that censors required content cannot be labeled AP or Advanced Placement, a policy that traces back to a dispute with Florida officials over AP Psychology instruction in August 2023, according to a College Board statement from that episode. Florida had a similar but more restricted law affecting AP Psychology, and College Board said the AP Psychology designation cannot be used on student transcripts there when required course content is censored. College Board added it is not aware of any AP courses approved in Texas that fail to comply with Senate Bill 12, and said it is following up directly with districts that have questions about AP courses.
District Says Letter Was Sent 'Out of an Abundance of Caution'
Northside ISD, the largest public school system in Bexar County and the fourth largest in Texas, sent the letter to parents about how Senate Bill 12 could affect Advanced Placement courses. The district serves nearly 98,000 students across 133 campuses covering more than 355 square miles in and around northwest San Antonio, though it projects a smaller budget base of roughly 95,500 students for the 2026-27 school year as enrollment pressures squeeze Texas school finances, according to reporting cited in district planning documents.
A Northside ISD spokesperson said the letter was sent out of an abundance of caution, and the district clarified with College Board that it is fully compliant with state law while preserving the instructional integrity of its AP program. The district said it has full confidence that its AP students are receiving the instruction and support needed to succeed on AP exams. Northside ISD also directed parents to contact their child's teacher to request additional information that cannot be taught in the classroom, and said parents can request supplemental resources by email for students to study outside school.
Parents Left Wanting More Specifics
Fox said the lack of specific guidance about which classes at Northside ISD would actually be affected added to parents' anxiety. She emailed her daughter's school seeking clarity but had not received a response at the time she spoke with KSAT. Fox said incomplete AP instruction could lower students' chances of earning college credit, and she is worried her student may receive a less rigorous and thorough education than students in other states.
She said the uncertainty could ultimately hurt her student's chances of competing in an already tight job market. The confusion in San Antonio echoes a broader pattern seen statewide: in September 2025, the legislative authors of SB 12 sent a clarification letter to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath urging administrators to exercise “common sense” after some districts over-complied by withholding basic student health care and first aid, according to The Texas Tribune.
State Oversight and Ongoing Legal Fights
Compliance with the law is now a formal state requirement. The Texas Education Agency issued administrative guidance in May requiring all Texas public school boards to annually certify compliance with SB 12 and submit electronic documentation to the state by September 30, per Texas Education Agency guidance.
The law also remains under legal challenge elsewhere in the state. A federal district judge granted a preliminary injunction in February blocking Houston ISD, Katy ISD and Plano ISD from enforcing four major provisions of SB 12, including restrictions on student identity clubs and diversity-related employee discipline, while a constitutional lawsuit proceeds, according to SEAT. Civil rights groups including the ACLU of Texas and the Transgender Law Center filed that federal lawsuit in August 2025 on behalf of student groups, teachers and parents, arguing the law unconstitutionally censors discussions on race, gender identity and sexual orientation, per the GSA Network. Northside ISD is not among the districts covered by that injunction, and the district's stated position remains that its AP courses comply with state law without sacrificing exam preparation.
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