Texas Adds Bible Passages to Mandatory School Reading List

Austin – June 30, 2026: The Republican-dominated Texas State Board of Education on June 26, 2026 adopted a revised, statewide mandatory reading list. For the first time it includes excerpts from the Bible as required reading in public schools. According to authorities, more than five million students are affected. The decision follows months of hearings and intense debates about the role of religious texts in instruction.

The changes are part of an update to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the state’s central curriculum framework. For several grade levels, biblical texts are explicitly named – from narrative passages in elementary school to more demanding excerpts such as the Book of Job and selected New Testament texts in upper grades. The board emphasizes that the intent is to contextualize literary and historical references, not to provide religious instruction.

Supporters point out that biblical material is frequently referenced in American literature, politics and legal history and therefore belongs to general knowledge. Conservative education policymakers see this as a form of cultural literacy that helps students understand allusions in classics or speeches. They also note that the list continues to reference secular works and thus, so the argument goes, creates a broader canon rather than a one-sided orientation.

Critics, by contrast, warn of an erosion of the constitutionally required separation of church and state. Civil rights organizations and secular groups, including the Texas Freedom Network, are considering legal action. They see a risk that students in public schools will be exposed to religious content without sufficient freedom of choice. Legal experts point to previous rulings that allow religious texts to be treated in a literary context but prohibit state-sponsored religious instruction.

Implementation in schools remains unsettled. The decision envisions a phased rollout through the 2030/31 school year. School districts and the Texas Education Agency must adjust curricula, professional development and exam formats. Practical questions range from text selection and translation issues to training teachers to present biblical content didactically and in a constitutionally sound manner.

The debate in Texas takes place in the context of nationwide disputes over curricula, parental rights and state responsibilities. Several prior measures – such as permitting the use of school chaplains and an optional Bible-oriented curriculum – have already tested the boundaries between cultural education and religious practice. Observers expect that potential lawsuits could delay implementation or force clarifications.