Bible stories are approved as required reading in Texas public schools
[June 27, 2026]
By JAMIE STENGLE and JOHN HANNA
DALLAS (AP) — Texas' education board on Friday approved a required
reading list for more than 5 million public school students that
includes Bible stories, widening conservative efforts to bring Christian
teachings into U.S. classrooms.
The state-mandated list of assigned reading — which includes Charles
Dickens’ “Great Expectations” and excerpts from the New Testament —
appeared to be among the first of its kind of the nation and will take
effect starting in 2030.
The State Board of Education, which is controlled by Republicans,
approved the list on a 9-5 vote following weeks of contentious debate
that again put Texas at the center of wrangling over the role of
religion in public schools. Last year, Texas became the largest state to
require teachers to hang the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
The board this week was also considering new social studies curriculum
that draws lines between Bible stories and American history.
Beyond objections over Bible readings, the mandate drew backlash from
teachers who criticized losing the ability to decide what their students
will read, although they are still allowed to assign additional books
during the school year.
“I don’t have a problem reading about David and Goliath because I
believe in those stories,” said Alyse Dent, a high school English
teacher in the Dallas area. "But if I’m reading to one of my students —
they’re Muslim or they’re atheist — I can say all day long, ‘Well, we’re
teaching a theme, we’re teaching symbolism,’ but they’re hearing, ‘This
is a Bible story. We’re talking about God.’”
Supporters of the changes have argued that Judeo-Christian traditions
were fundamental to the nation’s founding and that should be reflected
in the public school curriculum.
“These timeless works, including biblical passages, have shaped American
culture and history, and have influenced generations of thinkers,
leaders, and citizens, and they continue to offer valuable lessons about
human nature, virtue, liberty, and civic responsibility," said Mandy
Drogin, a senior fellow at Texas Public Policy Foundation, a
conservative think tank.
Texas has brought more religion into classrooms
Texas, which educates roughly 1 in 10 of the nation’s public school
students, has been at the forefront of a charge by conservatives to
incorporate more religion into classrooms. The state also allows public
schools to hire chaplains to counsel students and has approved an
optional Bible-infused curriculum.
Brooke Mazel, a retiree from Lubbock, was among a large crowd that
packed a meeting of the education board this week in Austin, saying her
children and grandchildren grew up with “strong faith and family values”
and backed the required titles.
“America should celebrate our 250 years that started as a nation of
unwavering Christian values,” Mazel said.
A state law passed in 2023 required a mandatory list of at least one
literary work be taught in each grade level. The new list contains
around 200 texts, including Bible passages, essays and books, far in
excess of that requirement.
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A Bible and Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy sit on the desk of State
Board of Education member LJ Francis during a meeting on proposed
social studies standards at the Barbara Jordan Building in Austin on
Monday, June 22, 2026. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP)
Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English
and a Stanford University professor, said he doesn’t know of any other
state with a mandatory reading list that includes religious texts.
Educators at the district and school level usually choose the texts
their students will read, Garcia said.
Kasey Meehan, director of PEN America’s Freedom to Read program, agreed
the move was “unique” to Texas.
Popular literary works are also on Texas' required list
Picture-book stories for elementary students including “David and
Goliath” and “Daniel and the Lion’s Den” are on the required reading
list. By fourth grade, students will encounter passages about Jesus in
the New Testament. E.B. White's “Charlotte's Web” would be assigned to
third-graders.
In middle school, students will be expected to read passages about
Jesus, including his most famous sermon and another where he instructs
people to cast aside earthly anxiety and seek the kingdom of God.
For high schoolers, the list requires the reading of specific Bible
passages as supportive materials for literary works, including works by
Dickens and Jane Austen's “Pride and Prejudice."
Texas law does let parents remove a child from a class or activity that
conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs.
Critics say list isn't diverse enough
The list mandates that students reading Shakespeare's “The Tragedy of
Julius Caesar" also read a eulogy for President Ronald Reagan written by
former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, a staunch conservative.
Chanea Bond, who teaches college and advanced high school English
courses in Fort Worth, said having a state reading list can close the
gap between what students learn in different areas. Although the list
for high schoolers is “pretty solid” for a study of classics, she said,
the list is “very old and very white.”
“It is very narrow and does not represent what classrooms in Texas look
like,” she said. “Going through most of high school without ever having
much value put into voices that sound like yours kind of sends a message
that your voices aren’t valuable.”
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Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press reporter Jim
Vertuno contributed to this report from Austin, Texas.
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