Texas Board Approves Bible Stories as Required Reading for Public School Students

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas’ education board voted June 26 to make Bible passages required reading in public schools, adding scripture to the state’s English and literature standards from first grade through high school.

The State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans, approved the list on a 9-5 vote following weeks of contentious debate, approving a required reading list for more than 5 million public school students that includes Bible stories. One member abstained, making the tally 9-5-1. The state will begin rolling out the new standards beginning in the 2030-31 school year. The changes will eventually reach classrooms across Collin County.

The vote drew national attention. Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English and a Stanford University professor, said he doesn’t know of any other state with a mandatory reading list that includes religious texts.

What the New Requirements Include

A state law passed in 2023 required a mandatory list of at least one literary work be taught in each grade level. The new list contains around 200 texts, including Bible passages, essays and books, far in excess of that requirement. Multiple titles will be mandated for each grade, and each one must be read “in its entirety.”

The Bible selections build by age. The new curriculum would have students as young as 6 interact with biblical stories titled “Noah’s Ark,” “David and Goliath” — meant to be read aloud from picture books — and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” in their English classes. The list for required literature includes sections of the Book of Exodus for fifth graders, The Shepherd’s Psalm for seventh graders and more. The required readings also include excerpts from multiple books of the Bible – Jonah, Psalms, Lamentations and Genesis – for students in middle and high school.

Scripture sits within a broad canon. Authors appearing on the approved required reading list include E.B. White, Shel Silverstein, Aesop, Kurt Vonnegut, Elie Wiesel and more. One detail matters for parents: now there’ll also be Psalm 23 and the Prodigal Son – the King James version.

Supporters Say the Bible Shaped the Nation

Republican board member Julie Pickren framed the list as a tool for deeper civic understanding. Pickren said the readings would give students important insight into the moral and philosophical traditions that have shaped Western civilization.

The plan’s most vocal champion was blunt. Board member Brandon Hall called the proposals a “generational opportunity” to overhaul the state curriculum. “Our nation was founded as a Christian nation, and Texas is a Christian state,” said Hall, a Republican who is a pastor in Springtown.

Critics Raise Church-State Concerns

Opposition crossed party lines. Board member Evelyn Brooks, who was the only Republican to vote against the new required texts, said during debate Friday she believes the move is “unconstitutional.”

Critics also point to the narrow scope. Proposed passages mostly come from translations of the Bible that Protestant Christians use, as well as one from a Jewish publisher. The list does not include translations used by Catholics or sacred texts from non-Jewish and non-Christian faiths. “Kids of all faith backgrounds and no faith are served by Texas schools and they should all feel welcome in Texas schools,” said Elva Mendoza, legislative communications associate for the progressive Texas Freedom Network. “But this is sending the message to children that one and only one religious text — a Christian one — is worthy of making this required reading list.”

What It Means for Collin County

Because the list is tied to state standards, districts including Plano ISD, Frisco ISD, McKinney ISD, Allen ISD, Prosper ISD, Princeton ISD, Lovejoy ISD and Melissa ISD will eventually align their instruction with it.

The debate already has a local face. Plano Republican Rep. Matt Shaheen, who represents House District 66 in Collin County, has been a strong backer of the state’s Bible-infused push, saying of the earlier optional curriculum, “I am a huge proponent of the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum and stand with my Republican colleagues, as well as Governor Abbott, in my support. The materials are optional for school districts to implement so every ISD retains local control.”

Local context is charged. Anti-Muslim rhetoric has been on the rise in Texas. A proposed Muslim-centric housing development in unincorporated Collin and Hunt counties is the subject of a number of state investigations that critics say unfairly target North Texas Muslims. That backdrop sharpens the local stakes as districts prepare to teach a single faith’s text to an increasingly diverse student body — assuming the requirement survives the legal challenges opponents have promised before it reaches classrooms in 2030.