Texas Mandates K-12 Bible Readings In New Statewide Curriculum
The Texas State Board of Education on Friday, June 26, 2026 approved a mandatory statewide K-12 reading list that requires Bible stories alongside works like "Charlotte's Web" and "Great Expectations." CBS News
The rollout will be staggered, beginning with elementary students in 2030, and the list contains about 200 required texts including Bible passages, essays and books.[1]
The board specified grade-level content: elementary students will read picture-book retellings such as David and Goliath and Daniel and the Lion's Den.[1] Fourth graders will read New Testament passages about Jesus, and middle school students will study the Sermon on the Mount.[1] High school students must read specified Bible passages as supplementary material for canonical works such as Dickens and Jane Austen.[1]
In June 2023 the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 763, allowing school districts to use volunteer chaplains as counselors. In November 2024 the State Board approved the optional Bluebonnet Learning K-5 reading curriculum, which included Bible stories and gave districts state financial incentives. In 2025 the Legislature enacted Senate Bill 10 requiring Ten Commandments posters in classrooms; that law has faced federal court challenges.
National experts said they were unaware of any other state with a mandatory K-12 reading list that includes religious texts, calling the move unique to Texas.[1] Advocacy groups such as the Texas Freedom Network criticized the board's decision, raising concerns about diversity, separation of church and state and the message to non-Christian students.[1] The board was also scheduled to vote the same day on a separate social studies curriculum that links Bible stories directly with American history.[1]
The mainstream summary does not mention that Texas is the only state mandating a K-12 reading list that includes specific Bible stories across all grade levels, highlighting the uniqueness of this policy. National experts have noted that this move is unprecedented in the U.S., which raises significant questions about its implications for educational practices and the separation of church and state. As of June 2026, no other state has adopted such a requirement, emphasizing Texas's distinct position in this regard.[2]
Furthermore, while the summary touches on advocacy group concerns, it does not delve into the broader context of Christian nationalism shaping public education policy in Texas. Analysts point out that this trend reflects a powerful influence on state politics, with a series of policies promoting religious content in schools, including the hiring of chaplains and the introduction of the Bluebonnet curriculum. This sequence of legislation suggests a systematic effort to integrate Christian teachings into public education, a perspective that is crucial for understanding the motivations behind the new reading mandate.[3]
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📊 Relevant Data
No other U.S. state mandates a statewide K-12 required reading list that includes specific Bible stories across all grade levels.
Texas is poised to require millions of students to study Bible stories in school — CNN
📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, June 26, 2026, the Texas State Board of Education formally approved a mandatory statewide reading list that requires Bible stories alongside works such as "Charlotte's Web" and "Great Expectations."
- The board said the Bible-inclusive requirement will be rolled out in stages, beginning with elementary school students in 2030.
- The new list specifies content by grade: elementary picture-book retellings (e.g., [David and Goliath] (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-school-board-bible-readings-vote/) and "Daniel and the Lion's Den"); fourth graders will read New Testament passages about Jesus; middle schoolers will read passages including the Sermon on the Mount and teachings on casting aside earthly anxiety; and high schoolers must read specified Bible passages as supplementary material for canonical works like Dickens and Jane Austen.
- Unlike the 2023 Texas law that required at least one literary work per grade, the board's new catalog includes around 200 required texts — Bible passages, essays and books — far exceeding that baseline.
- National experts including Antero Garcia of the National Council of Teachers of English and Kasey Meehan of PEN America said they were unaware of any other state with a mandatory K–12 reading list that includes religious texts, calling the move "unique" to Texas.
- The board was also set to vote the same day on a separate social studies curriculum that explicitly links Bible stories with American history.
- Groups such as the Texas Freedom Network criticized the decision on the record, raising concerns about lack of diversity, church‑state separation and the message it sends to non‑Christian students.
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- CBS reports that on Friday, June 26, 2026, the Texas State Board of Education formally approved the mandatory statewide reading list requiring Bible stories alongside works like "Charlotte's Web" and "Great Expectations."
- The article specifies that the rollout of the Bible-inclusive reading requirement will be staggered, starting with elementary school students in 2030.
- New detail on content by grade: elementary students will read picture-book versions of stories such as "David and Goliath" and "Daniel and the Lion's Den"; by fourth grade students read New Testament passages about Jesus; middle school students read several passages including the Sermon on the Mount and teachings on casting aside earthly anxiety; high schoolers must read specified Bible passages as supportive materials for canonical literary works including Dickens and Jane Austen.
- CBS notes that the 2023 Texas law only required at least one literary work per grade level, while the board's new list goes far beyond that, containing around 200 required texts including Bible passages, essays and books.
- The piece adds national expert reaction: Antero Garcia, president of the National Council of Teachers of English, and Kasey Meehan of PEN America say they are unaware of any other state with a mandatory K-12 reading list that includes religious texts, calling the move "unique" to Texas.
- The article reports that the board is also set to vote Friday on a separate social studies curriculum that links Bible stories directly with American history.
- CBS includes additional on-the-record criticism from groups such as the Texas Freedom Network, emphasizing concerns about lack of diversity, church-state separation, and the message to non-Christian students.