Texas Adds Bible to Required Reading List for Public School Students
The 9-5 vote adds about a dozen biblical texts to more than 200 required readings, and parents may opt children out of specific selections.
- On Friday, June 26, 2026, the Texas State Board of Education approved a mandatory reading list for public schools including biblical selections, following a 9-5 vote split along party lines.
- Litigation concerning Bible use in American public schools began over 150 years ago, with legal outcomes often depending on whether lessons had a secular purpose rather than promoting religion.
- The board's final list includes more than 200 readings, featuring about a dozen biblical texts such as the Golden Rule for kindergarten and the Parable of the Prodigal Son for first grade.
- Critics argue that mandatory Bible readings violate the First Amendment by promoting religion, though the board allows parents to opt their children out of specific readings conflicting with personal beliefs.
- Courts have historically invalidated programs promoting Christianity, distinguishing between objectively teaching about religion and teaching of religion as a constitutional requirement in public schools.
40 Articles
40 Articles
What happens when forced Bible reading backfires
Christian conservatives are cheering last week’s announcement by the Texas Board of Education mandating readings from the Bible in the state’s K-12 literature curriculum starting in 2030, but a curriculum studies scholar says they appear to be forgetting that this puts Bible myths under a microscope.Kids will be dissecting it like a tadpole, and squaring that with the reality that snakes don’t, in fact, talk. Nor do they hand out apples.“The dec…
Texas Board Approves Bible Stories in Mandatory Reading List for Public Schools
The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) voted on June 26 to approve a mandatory reading list for public school students that includes stories from the Bible, expanding conservative efforts to incorporate Christian teachings into classrooms. The Republican-controlled board passed the measure by a 9-5-1 vote, according to multiple reports. The new requirements will apply […]
Texas board mandates students read Bible stories
Passages from the Bible will now become required reading for public school students in Texas. The Republican-controlled state board of education approved the mandatory reading list on Friday, the first of its kind in the country. William Brangham discussed the new guidelines and how they came about with Jaden Edison, the public education reporter at The Texas Tribune.
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