Is the Bible required reading in Texas public schools? A final vote is days away

Texas public schools already post the Ten Commandments. Now the state wants students to read the Bible, too.

The Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education is set to take a final vote Friday on a reading list that would mandate Bible stories and passages for all 5.5 million public school students from kindergarten through 12th grade — a move that would take effect in 2030.

It’s the latest escalation in a string of religion-in-schools measures. In 2023, Texas became the first state to allow chaplains to counsel students. The following year, the board approved an optional Bible-infused elementary curriculum. Last year, lawmakers required Ten Commandments displays in every classroom — a mandate a federal appeals court recently upheld.

The proposed list spans every grade level. Elementary students would read picture-book versions of “David and Goliath” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den.” By middle school, students would encounter passages from the Sermon on the Mount. High schoolers would read the parable of the prodigal son and the story of Adam and Eve.

Supporters say the texts reflect America’s founding principles. “We need to focus on what our nation was founded on and not apologize for that,” said Susan Perez, founder of Citizens for Education Reform.

Critics argue it favors Christianity and violates the constitutional separation of church and state. Education experts say no other state has a mandated religious reading list.

Read more:

• What to know about the push to make Bible stories required reading in Texas public schools