BATON ROUGE - Several laws went into effect on Jan. 1, including a law mandating teachers display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, but school boards and lawmakers are still figuring out how the law will take shape across the state.

This was the first time teachers and students were back in the classroom in the New Year, but is unclear how many classrooms have implemented the new law. Between court cases challenging whether displaying religious text in publicly funded schools is constitutional and questions about implementation, some school districts have opted for inaction.

State Rep. Dodie Horton carried the bill through the capitol, and it requires and 11x14 printout of the Ten Commandments be on display in public school classrooms. It’s similar to another law Horton spearheaded two years ago requiring the phrase “In God We Trust” be displayed.

The current law was challenged by parents in five parishes, and Murrill says a court decision putting the law on hold only applies there. She says districts outside of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, Orleans, St. Tammany and Vernon parishes can display the commandments.

Alex Luchenister with Americans United for Separation of Church and State says it’s wise for schools to avoid posting them at all.

"The smart thing for every school district is to is to wait and see what happens in the lawsuit, and the right thing for every school district to do is to not implement the statute because it violates childrens' and parents' religious freedoms."

Horton says she’s working within her own district to design a version of the poster which follows guidelines to avoid lawsuits. If the law isn’t followed, there’s no clear answer on repercussions.

"I know that some school boards would like to wait until the litigation plays out, and I think as a practical matter, they can do that, because there's no real enforcement mechanism, at this point," Murrill said.

Some superintendents who did not want to speak on record said they’ve not received any donated posters, which the law requires, and they are also keeping an eye on the courts for guidance.