Texas is poised to mandate Bible stories as required reading for over 5 million public school students, a move that has reignited a fierce national debate over widening efforts across the U.S. to introduce more religion into classrooms.
The Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education is scheduled to cast a final vote on the proposal this Friday. This follows Texas’s 2023 decision to become the largest state to require the display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom, a measure that drew significant legal challenges.
The controversial plan faces strong opposition from critics who argue it violates the constitutional separation of church and state, unduly elevates Christianity’s role in national history, and prioritizes it over other faiths.
Conversely, supporters contend that Judeo-Christian traditions were fundamental to the nation’s founding and that this influence should be accurately reflected in public school curricula.
President Donald Trump has advocated for protecting and expanding religious expression in public schools nationwide. Texas, a deeply conservative state that educates approximately one in ten U.S. public school students, frequently sets precedents in such matters.
In 2023, Texas became the first state to permit the hiring of chaplains for student counseling. Subsequently, the board narrowly approved an optional Bible-infused curriculum for elementary schools.
Republican lawmakers then mandated the display of the Ten Commandments, a measure recently upheld by a federal appeals court, further solidifying the state’s stance.
If approved, the required reading list would impact Texas’s 5.5 million public school students from kindergarten through high school, taking effect in 2030. Susan Perez, founder of the Citizens for Education Reform, testified before the education board, stating, “We need to focus on what our nation was founded on and not apologize for that. It is the truth and we should not be afraid.”
The proposed list includes picture-book stories like “Noah’s Ark,” “David and Goliath,” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” for elementary students.
By fourth grade, students would encounter passages about Jesus from the New Testament. Middle schoolers would be expected to read several passages about Jesus, including excerpts from his most famous sermon and another where he instructs people to cast aside earthly anxiety and seek the kingdom of God.
Another proposed reading would connect the Book of Lamentations, with its themes of the destruction of Jerusalem, with readings about the Holocaust. High school students would delve into the parable of the prodigal son, portions of the Book of Job, and the story of Adam and Eve.
Education observers suggest Texas could be the first state to enact a required reading list that includes an unprecedented layer of mandated religious texts.
Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English and a Stanford University professor, noted he is unaware of any other state with such a list, as text selection typically falls to district and school educators.
Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, believes such a mandated reading list would be “unique” to Texas, noting that while many states have “advised readings, suggested readings,” this proposal is distinct.
Critics further point out the heavy reliance on the King James Bible and recent evangelical translations, which they argue lean too heavily on Christian interpretations.
Concerns are also raised about teaching these religious stories in schools attended by thousands of children from Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and other faiths, as well as those who identify as atheist or agnostic.
Frank Strong, an English and journalism teacher and co-founder of Texas Freedom to Read, remarked, “I do think that it’s disturbing that there are no texts from other religious traditions that are included.”
