{"id":87460,"date":"2026-06-26T18:17:38","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T22:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/texas-school-board-votes-to-include-bible-passages-on-required-reading-lists\/"},"modified":"2026-06-26T18:17:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T22:17:38","slug":"texas-school-board-votes-to-include-bible-passages-on-required-reading-lists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/texas-school-board-votes-to-include-bible-passages-on-required-reading-lists\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas School Board Votes to Include Bible Passages on Required Reading Lists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Texas Board of Education voted Friday to approve mandatory reading lists for public school students that include passages from the Bible, continuing a push by state leaders to bring conservative and religious values into the public education system.<\/p>

The Republican-controlled board passed the measure 9-5, with one member absent and not casting a vote. The required reading lists will apply to more than 5 million public school students and are set to go into effect in 2030.<\/p>

This is not the first time Texas has moved to incorporate religious content into its schools. The state previously required the Ten Commandments to be posted in all public school classrooms \u2014 a mandate that was upheld by a federal appeals court earlier this year. Texas joins a number of other Republican-led states that have taken similar steps to bring Christian teachings into public education.<\/p>

The move has sparked debate on both sides. Opponents argue that such decisions conflict with the Constitution’s “establishment clause,” which courts have long interpreted as maintaining a separation between government and religion. Supporters, however, contend that the measures bring back foundational Judeo-Christian teachings that they consider historically important.<\/p>

The reading lists themselves cover a broad range of material, with much of it being non-religious or classical in nature. Included texts range from Aesop’s fables and Native American stories to a children’s version of Don Quixote. However, critics have pointed out that a large portion of the list consists of works written by white male authors \u2014 a concern in a state where Latino and Black students make up the majority of the student population.<\/p>

Rachel Laser, who leads the advocacy organization Americans United for Separation of Church and State, released a written statement condemning the board’s action. She said the decision sought to “misuse public schools to impose one narrow set of religious beliefs and indoctrinate a new generation of Americans in the lie that America is a Christian country.”<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Texas Board of Education has approved mandatory reading lists for public school students that feature passages from the Bible, marking another step in efforts to bring religious content into public education. The 9-5 vote will affect more than 5 million students when the lists take effect in 2030. The decision has drawn both praise from supporters of Judeo-Christian values in schools and sharp criticism from those who say it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":87459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[835],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-87460","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-religious"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782512257780.jpg?fit=450%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-mKE","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":87047,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/texas-school-board-votes-on-requiring-bible-passages-in-public-school-reading-lists\/","url_meta":{"origin":87460,"position":0},"title":"Texas School Board Votes on Requiring Bible Passages in Public School Reading Lists","author":"Admin","date":"June 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Texas State Board of Education is set to vote Friday on a mandatory reading list for over 5 million public school students that includes passages from the Bible. The proposal, which observers say would be a first-of-its-kind requirement in the United States, would also include classic literary works. If\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782448402374.jpg?fit=1000%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782448402374.jpg?fit=1000%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782448402374.jpg?fit=1000%2C680&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782448402374.jpg?fit=1000%2C680&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":87650,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/texas-to-require-bible-readings-and-christian-history-in-public-school-curriculum\/","url_meta":{"origin":87460,"position":1},"title":"Texas to Require Bible Readings and Christian History in Public School Curriculum","author":"Admin","date":"June 27, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Texas public school students will soon be required to read passages from the Bible and study the role Christianity played in the state's history. The new reading lists and social studies curriculum were expected to receive approval on Friday. The move marks a significant shift in how religion is incorporated\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782560858970.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":86365,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/texas-eyes-bible-stories-as-required-reading-for-5-5-million-public-school-students\/","url_meta":{"origin":87460,"position":2},"title":"Texas Eyes Bible Stories as Required Reading for 5.5 Million Public School Students","author":"Admin","date":"June 24, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Texas is on the verge of making Bible stories mandatory reading for its more than 5 million public school students, with a final board vote scheduled for Friday. The proposal has sparked intense debate over the role of religion in public education, with supporters citing the nation's Judeo-Christian roots and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782336833266.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782336833266.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782336833266.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/news-1782336833266.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28297,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/texas-religious-curriculum-needs-nearly-2000-corrections-after-first-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":87460,"position":3},"title":"Texas Religious Curriculum Needs Nearly 2,000 Corrections After First Year","author":"Admin","date":"February 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Texas education officials approved nearly 2,000 corrections to the state's controversial Bible-based curriculum after teachers discovered numerous errors during its first year of implementation. The \"Bluebonnet\" curriculum, which includes religious content in public school lessons, faced criticism for factual mistakes, typos, and copyright issues.","rel":"","context":"In "Religious"","block_context":{"text":"Religious","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/religious\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772155881108.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772155881108.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772155881108.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/news-1772155881108.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39436,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/chicago-schools-settle-with-religious-institute-over-student-teaching-ban\/","url_meta":{"origin":87460,"position":4},"title":"Chicago Schools Settle with Religious Institute Over Student Teaching Ban","author":"Admin","date":"March 19, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Chicago Board of Education has reached a settlement with Alliance Defending Freedom regarding restrictions on Moody Bible Institute students participating in public school student teaching programs. 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