Texas approves Bible passages for public school reading lists

The Republican-dominated Texas State Board of Education voted 9-5 Friday to approve a required reading list for more than 5 million public school students, with one member absent, and set the rollout to begin with the 2030-31 school year.

The list is broader than the minimum called for in a 2023 Texas law requiring at least one book per grade level. Texas is the only state that issues its own statewide literature requirements instead of leaving selections to districts or teachers, and the final plan can include as many as 25 texts in some grades. The list includes about 200 passages, including at least a dozen Bible passages and stories.

Students as young as 6 would encounter biblical narratives in English classes, including Noah’s Ark, David and Goliath and Daniel and the Lion’s Den. The plan also requires specific Bible translations, including the New International Readers Version for some passages. Teachers would still be able to add other books during the school year, but the required list sets a state baseline that districts must follow.

The state already requires Ten Commandments displays in public schools, a policy upheld by a federal appeals court earlier in 2026. Texas also became the first state in 2023 to allow public schools to hire chaplains to counsel students, and state officials later approved an optional Bible-infused curriculum. The board has also been weighing social studies standards that would put more weight on Texas and U.S. history and require students to identify Biblical figures such as Jesus, Abraham and Moses.

Nearly 500 people signed up to testify during the board meetings, and protesters gathered at the Capitol. Carrie Griffiths of Our Schools Our Democracy called the policy special-interest driven and said it was failing students. Teacher Alyse Dent warned that required Bible readings could feel like religious instruction to students from Muslim, atheist or other non-Christian backgrounds. Supporters, including Mandy Drogin of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, argued that Judeo-Christian traditions are fundamental to the nation’s founding and should be reflected in the curriculum.