Texas is poised to become the first U.S. state to require public school pupils to study passages from the Bible as part of their core reading, with its education board due to vote on Friday on a measure that would affect more than five million children.
The proposal before the Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education would set out a list of roughly 200 required texts, placing parables from the New Testament alongside literary staples such as Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” and Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” According to CBS News, education observers believe the plan appears to be the first of its kind in the country. If passed, it would take effect in 2030.
The measure builds on a 2023 state law that required at least one approved literary work to be taught in each grade. The new list goes considerably further, mandating multiple titles per grade — each to be read “in its entirety,” CNN reported, citing the proposed lists.
What students would read would vary by age. Picture-book adaptations of stories such as “David and Goliath” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” would feature in the early grades, sitting beside children’s classics including “Stuart Little” and “Charlotte’s Web.” By the fourth grade, pupils would encounter New Testament passages about Jesus, and by middle school several more, among them parts of his best-known sermon. Sixth-graders, according to CNN, would read “The Shepherd’s Psalm” from the Book of Psalms alongside writings by George Washington and poems by Langston Hughes and Robert Frost. Older students would be required to read specific Bible passages as supporting material for set literary works. In one instance, those studying Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” would also be assigned a eulogy for President Ronald Reagan written by the late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
The vote comes against a wider backdrop. Texas, which educates around one in ten of the nation’s public school pupils, has been at the forefront of conservative efforts to bring more religion into the classroom. The state already permits schools to employ chaplains, requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms — a law recently upheld in federal court — and has approved an optional Bible-based curriculum. On Friday the board is also expected to vote on a social studies curriculum that links biblical stories to American history.
Opponents argue the plan erodes the constitutional separation of church and state, narrows the diversity of what children read and strips teachers of decisions normally left to them. “Kids of all faith backgrounds and no faith are served by Texas schools and they should all feel welcome,” said Elva Mendoza of the progressive Texas Freedom Network, who warned the list signalled that only one religious text was deemed worthy of inclusion. Kasey Meehan, of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, described the requirements as “almost de facto censorship” and said the list “leans ideologically more conservative.” Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English, said he knew of no other state with a mandatory reading list containing religious texts.
Supporters frame the change differently, casting the Bible as a foundational literary and historical text rather than religious instruction. Brooke Mazel, a retiree from Lubbock, urged the board to adopt the materials, saying her family had been raised with “strong faith and family values” and that America should “celebrate our 250 years that started as a nation of unwavering Christian values.” Susan Perez, founder of the advocacy group Citizens for Education Reform, told the board that the country was built on “Judeo-Christian values,” pointing to religious references in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Some parents, meanwhile, have raised concerns about their own authority over their children’s religious upbringing, particularly in non-Christian households. Hundreds of teachers, parents and residents addressed the board this week, with reporting drawn from CBS News, The Associated Press and CNN. A final decision is expected on Friday.
