NEW: Texas Officially Becomes First State to Require Public School Students Read the Bible

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Texas will become the first state in the nation to require public school students to read selections from the Bible after the Republican-controlled State Board of Education signed off Friday on a sweeping new statewide reading list.

The newly approved curriculum, which will be phased in beginning with elementary school students in 2030, requires public schools to assign passages from the Bible alongside a broader collection of literary works. The requirements will eventually extend into middle and high school, where students will read excerpts from books including Jonah, Psalms, Genesis, and Lamentations.

The action follows a 2023 state law directing education officials to identify required literary works for every grade level. Under the framework approved Friday, educators may continue assigning additional books, but they cannot replace the state-mandated texts.

Supporters of the change argue that biblical literature is essential to understanding the nation’s history and the influence of Judeo-Christian traditions on American civic life. Critics, however, contend the policy crosses constitutional lines by elevating one religion in public education while giving comparatively little attention to other faith traditions.

The reading list has also drawn scrutiny over its broader makeup. Opponents say the selections lean heavily toward older works by white male authors despite the state’s diverse student population, with Hispanic and Black students making up a majority of those enrolled in Texas public schools.

The vote marks the latest move by Texas Republicans to expand the role of religion in public education. Last year, the state enacted a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom.

Shortly after Louisiana became the first state to require the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom in 2024, President Donald Trump celebrated the move on Truth Social, writing that he “LOVE[D] THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, AND MANY OTHER PLACES, FOR THAT MATTER” and calling the law “THE FIRST MAJOR STEP IN THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION, WHICH IS DESPERATELY NEEDED, IN OUR COUNTRY.”

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