Overview
- The State Board of Education is considering a Texas Education Agency list that names Bible passages for specific grades, with a final vote in June and classroom use slated for 2030.
- Examples on the draft list include Matthew 6 for sixth grade, Jonah, 1 Corinthians 13 and Psalm 23 for seventh, and for high school English David and Goliath, Lamentations 3, the Tower of Babel, Ecclesiastes 3 and selected chapters of Job.
- Backers say the selections build biblical literacy they view as key to understanding U.S. culture and history.
- Opponents warn required exposure to religious scripture in public schools could breach church–state limits and argue these texts belong in neutral, comparative courses.
- The proposal arrives with a broader plan to refocus social studies on U.S. and Texas history, prompting concerns about the lack of Hispanic and Black authors and about a single narrative that could shape what national publishers produce for Texas.