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Texas Board of Education Approves Bible Excerpts for Public School Curriculum

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Texas Board of Education Approves Bible-Infused Reading List

The Texas State Board of Education has approved a new statewide reading list that includes mandatory Bible passages for public school students. The measure, which passed with a 9-5 vote, with one Republican joining Democrats in opposition, will begin with elementary school students in 2030.

Curriculum Details

Required Religious Content

The new curriculum requires students to study specific Bible passages:

  • Elementary School: Passages from the Book of Exodus, including stories about Adam and Eve, and Moses and the burning bush.
  • Seventh Grade: Excerpts from the Book of Jonah and the Book of Psalms.
  • High School: Additional excerpts from the Book of Lamentations and the Book of Genesis.
  • General: New Testament passages about Jesus and the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Non-Religious Content

The approved reading list also includes works by Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare, as well as speeches by Martin Luther King Jr. and Margaret Thatcher.

Background and Legal Context

The reading list stems from a 2023 Texas law requiring at least one designated literary work per grade level. Last year, Texas became the largest U.S. state to require display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom. A federal appeals court upheld that law in April 2025.

Statements

Supporters: Brandon Hall, a Republican board member, said: "We are bringing the Bible back into schools this week for the first time in 60 years." Other supporters contend that Judeo-Christian traditions are foundational to U.S. history and should be represented in public education.

Opponents: Critics, including Felicia Martin of Texas Freedom Network, stated before the vote that the reading list "centres Christianity above all other religious faiths and traditions" and has "a very Western-centric view of the world." Other opponents argue the policy breaches the constitutional separation of church and state and lacks religious diversity.

Educator Concerns: Clare Haefner of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association expressed concerns about the length of the list and potential loss of teacher autonomy.

Criticisms of Diversity

Critics point to a lack of diversity in the reading list, which heavily features older works by white male authors in a state where over half of public school students are Hispanic or Black.

Public Comment

President Donald Trump commented on the trend of religious content in schools, saying, "Religion is back in our country, bigger and stronger than it has been in many, many years."