The Texas Board of Education approves a required reading list with Bible verses
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The Republican-controlled Texas Board of Education approved a required reading list Friday that includes passages from the Bible, marking the latest effort by conservative officials to expand Christian teachings in public schools.
The Texas State Board of Education voted 9-5, with one abstention, to approve a required reading list for more than 5 million public school students.
The required reading list includes works such as Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” and passages from the New Testament.
The decision came after a heated debate between supporters and critics and is closely watched by education observers, who say it appears to be the first nationally required reading list in the United States.
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The Texas State Board of Education has approved a required reading list that includes passages from the Bible for public school students. (Fox News Digital-Elizabeth Heckman)
Critics have argued that the required reading list promotes Christianity over religious diversity and civil rights while blurring the constitutional separation of church and state.
Proponents argue that Judeo-Christian traditions are fundamental to the founding of the nation and should be reflected in classroom education.
The required reading list will go into effect for the 2030-31 school year for elementary school students.
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Mohammed Nasrullah, left, and Aziz Soomro, both of Houston, participate in an interfaith funeral-themed protest outside the Barbara Jordan Building in Austin on Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
The board’s decision follows a series of education measures in Texas, including allowing public schools to hire pastors to counsel students, requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms and approving an optional Bible-based curriculum.
The 2023 Texas law requires a mandatory list of at least one course of study to be taught at each grade level. The newly approved list contains approximately 200 documents, including books, articles and passages from the Bible.
Another critic of the decision, Elva Mendoza, a communications attorney for the progressive Texas Freedom Network, told the Associated Press that the required list lacks diversity and does not give teachers and students the power to choose what they study.
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Ruth Nasrullah, left, and Rocio Fierro-Perez, political director of the Texas Freedom Network, participate in an interfaith funeral-themed protest outside the Barbara Jordan Building in Austin on Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
“Children of all faith and no faith backgrounds are served by Texas schools and should all feel welcome in Texas schools,” Mendoza said.
“But this sends a message to children that only one religious text – the Christian one – should make this necessary list,” he added.
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The board was expected to vote Friday on a new social studies program that links biblical stories to American history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
