A proposal that would mandate Bible stories as required reading for more than 5 million public school students in Texas has reignited national debates regarding the integration of religion into classrooms. The Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education is scheduled to hold a final vote on this plan this Friday. This initiative follows a previous requirement enacted last year, which made Texas the largest state to mandate that every classroom display the Ten Commandments.
The proposed curriculum has triggered significant opposition, with critics arguing that it threatens the constitutional separation of church and state, lacks proper religious diversity, and unfairly prioritizes Christianity. Conversely, proponents maintain that Judeo-Christian traditions were essential to the founding of the nation and believe this history belongs in the public school curriculum. President Donald Trump has expressed support for protecting and expanding religious expression within schools, and Texas often leads the way in such policy shifts, given that it serves approximately one in 10 public school students across the United States.
This push follows several recent religious-oriented educational changes in the state. In 2023, Texas became the first state to permit the hiring of chaplains for student counseling, and the following year, the board approved an optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools. Additionally, the mandate for displaying the Ten Commandments in schools was recently upheld by a federal appeals court. If the new required reading list is approved by the board, it would be implemented starting in 2030 for the state’s 5.5 million students from kindergarten through high school.
During testimony this week, Susan Perez, the founder of Citizens for Education Reform, encouraged the board to adopt the plan, stating that the nation should not apologize for its foundations. The curriculum includes picture-book stories for elementary students such as “Noah’s Ark,” “David and Goliath,” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den.” By the fourth grade, students would begin encountering New Testament passages about Jesus. Middle schoolers would then study further passages from his sermons and texts that connect the Book of Lamentations to the Holocaust. High school curriculum would include the parable of the prodigal son, selections from the Book of Job, and the story of Adam and Eve.
Education experts have noted that Texas could be the first state to institute such a specific, mandated reading list incorporating religious texts. Antero Garcia, a Stanford University professor and president of the National Council of Teachers of English, noted that local districts and schools typically handle textbook selection. Kasey Meehan of PEN America described the mandate as unique, noting that other states generally offer religious texts as suggested or advised reading rather than requirements.
The proposed list relies heavily on the King James Bible and certain evangelical translations, which has led critics to argue the selections are biased. Furthermore, advocates like Frank Strong, an English teacher and co-founder of Texas Freedom to Read, have voiced concerns about the exclusion of texts from other religious traditions, noting the impact on students of Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and other faiths, as well as those who are atheist or agnostic.
