The Texas State Board of Education on Wednesday delayed an initial vote on a proposed required reading list that includes several Bible passages, including some featured in the controversial, state-approved Bluebonnet reading program that some districts have adopted.

Members of the public who spoke on the issue were overwhelmingly opposed to the state’s proposed list, citing a lack of diverse authors and the religious texts among the reasons.

“What I see is an overemphasis on the Christian tradition without providing the kind of contextualization and analysis that religious texts require,” said Steven Mintz, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin.

In April, the board will discuss both Commissioner Mike Morath’s聽proposed聽list and an alternative, shorter list offered by Board Member Will Hickman. His list also includes some biblical texts, including the Good Samaritan, the parable of the Prodigal Son and the story of the tower of Babel.

“These are common stories that are, what I would say, part of cultural literacy,” he said.

When Texas approved a new reading curriculum that features Bible stories in 2024, education Commissioner Mike Morath told districts they could adopt it, reject it or even adapt it to their own local needs.

But a proposed statewide reading list, which relies on some of the same biblical lessons, would not be optional.

The selections, part of a longer list that also features scripture passages for and students, include Jesus鈥� parable of the Prodigal Son for first graders and a third grade text on the Apostle Paul鈥檚 conversion to Christianity. Those are among the stories that the agency published from the Bluebonnet reading curriculum, a spokesman said.

The proposed reading list, which includes classics from Shakespeare and Poe and the writings of historical figures, is scheduled for a preliminary vote by the Texas State Board of Education Wednesday.

One of the criticisms of the religious lessons in Bluebonnet is that they largely present an evangelical Christian perspective 鈥� an attribute the reading list shares, said David Brockman, a religion and public policy scholar at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

鈥淎s with the Bluebonnet curriculum, this one-sided focus on the Bible conveys, intentionally or unintentionally, the message that the biblical tradition is more important and more worthy of attention than other religions,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his message in turn threatens to turn students, parents, and teachers who are not Christians or Jews into outsiders in their own public schools.鈥� 

The state board narrowly approved the reading program in late 2024 after months of debate between Christian conservatives and those who argue that it emphasizes Christianity over other religions and could be used to proselytize elementary school children. The curriculum is one of several ways the state has tried to heighten students鈥� exposure to the Bible, knowledge that Morath says will improve overall reading performance. Bluebonnet, and now the reading list, have received praise from those advocating for a classical curriculum focused on Western culture. 

鈥淭his is the revolution America needs,鈥� Jeremy Wayne Tate, founder of the Classical Learning Test, an SAT and ACT alternative, . 

Because of student mobility, there is a need for a 鈥渃ommon literary canon,鈥� according to . 鈥淲hen students switch schools, they will often read the same text twice or skip a text entirely due to local grade level selection differences.鈥�

A requirement that the state include 鈥渞eligious literature,鈥� in the curriculum has been for years. Some districts met that standard by offering standalone elective courses on the Old and New Testaments in high school. In last fall, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the state board could also comply by integrating religious topics into other subjects, like language arts. 

The reading list would include a kindergarten passage on the Golden Rule, which emphasizes Jesus鈥� Sermon on the Mount, where he instructed followers to 鈥渄o unto others as you would have done unto you.鈥� After a backlash, the state added references to similar lessons from other faiths. In first grade, there鈥檚 a book on America鈥檚 symbols, which also highlights connections to scripture.

鈥楶arents have every right鈥� 

Most districts in the state didn鈥檛 rush to adopt the curriculum, despite incentives from the state of up to $60 per student. A state database last summer showed that fewer than 200 of the state鈥檚 more than 1,200 districts and charters had ordered the reading materials, many of them smaller districts. Others adopted the program but discarded the religion-related lessons. 

In a , the Texas Freedom Network, which has been critical of including Bible lessons in the curriculum, showed that just 17 of the state鈥檚 100 largest districts adopted it and were often slow to order the materials. The Fort Worth schools, now under state takeover, will begin implementing it this fall. 

Since last fall, the 72,000-student Conroe district, near Houston, has been fielding requests from parents to opt their children out of some of the biblical material. Parents are required to submit a request in writing to a teacher or school administrator, but officials told 社区黑料 that they鈥檙e not keeping track of how many requests they’ve received. Last fall, one parent told board members that creating alternate lessons is adding to teachers鈥� workload. 

鈥淧arents have every right to opt their children out of this,鈥� Destinee Milton, who has a second grader and a fifth grader in the district, . Because the religious material is part of the same book as the rest of the lessons, 鈥渢eachers are now required to spend their planning time鈥� pasting in alternate content.

Mark Brooks, whose third grader attends Colin Powell Elementary in Conroe, asked that she be excused from lessons on Christianity and its influence on the Roman Empire. 

鈥淚 don’t think religion belongs in public schools,鈥� he said. But the school seemed unprepared for how to handle the request. The district didn鈥檛 reply to a request for comment.

鈥淲e asked the teacher; the teacher didn’t really know. We talked to the principal; the principal didn’t really know,鈥� he said. They eventually relocated his daughter to a separate room where she worked on a lesson about the roads that led to Rome, also part of Bluebonnet. 

Brooks said his daughter liked the alternate lesson because she finished it quickly and had more time for independent reading. He鈥檚 not opposed, he said, to brief mentions of religion in school, but described a passage on the Christian emperor Constantine crediting God with his success as a ruler as 鈥渨ay over the top.鈥�

Mark Chancey, a religious studies professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said that if the board approves the reading list, it鈥檚 鈥渙nly a matter of time before parents begin to opt their children out of these lessons鈥� in districts statewide. He cited a Supreme Court ruling last year that upheld parents鈥� rights to keep their children from participating in lessons focused on LGBTQ-related story books for religious reasons. He expects parents to exercise those same rights when it comes to religious material. 

鈥淚t’s going to be classroom chaos,鈥� he said. 

Supporters of the program argue that the Bible is a foundational document that should be taught in public schools and is necessary to understand historical references and works of literature. The Supreme Court, they say, erred in 1963 when it that mandated prayer and Bible readings violated the First Amendment.

鈥淚t will be impossible for Texas students to understand settlement in America, the Revolution, the Constitution, or the rest of American and World history, let alone literature, without knowledge of the Bible,鈥� said Matthew McCormick, education director for the , a conservative think tank. 鈥淢any schools are countering what they see as favor to Christianity with what looks a lot like anti-Christian bias, but this is a disservice to the education of their students.鈥�

Survey responses from teachers, collected through a link in a Bluebonnet Facebook group, show that educators remain divided on the religious components after several months of teaching the program. 

鈥淚 am a non-Christian being forced to give sermons in class,鈥� one teacher wrote. 鈥淣o consideration was given to the rights of teachers and students of various backgrounds with this curriculum.鈥�

But another said there鈥檚 a way to teach the material without trying to influence what students think.

鈥淚f I present something as, 鈥楾his is what this group of people believe and your family can discuss what you believe at home,鈥� it鈥檚 OK,鈥� the teacher explained. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 thrilled with the additions, but I had to put myself in the mindset of 鈥業t鈥檚 a story from a religion. I鈥檓 not teaching it as fact.鈥� 鈥�

But the staff, hoping to avoid debates over families鈥� religious beliefs, has chopped roughly 30 sections out of the curriculum, including a kindergarten lesson on the Golden Rule featuring Jesus鈥� Sermon on the Mount and several excerpts about a Christian prayer the governor of Plymouth Colony said at the first Thanksgiving.  

The district鈥檚 elementary teachers 鈥渨ent through the materials looking for things that may be controversial,鈥� said Superintendent Joe Craig. They didn鈥檛 feel those parts of the curriculum 鈥渨ere in line with what we wanted the lesson to focus on.鈥� 

Fairfield鈥檚 process reflects the kind of that many districts have taken toward 鈥� the state-developed materials that prominently feature the Bible and Christianity. With feedback from 300 teachers, Fort Worth, the fifth largest district in the state, adopted the phonics portion of the curriculum, but turned down the units with religious material. Some districts ordered just a few books, likely for , while the Houston and Dallas districts opted to keep what they currently use.

Texas has spent roughly $100 million 鈥� and counting 鈥� to develop and promote its own reading curriculum. But some observers say they wouldn鈥檛 be surprised if districts aren鈥檛 rushing to pick it up, considering the State Board of Education approved it by a one-vote margin. 

鈥淭hey may be reluctant to bring that same controversy into their districts, especially in communities with families of diverse religious backgrounds,鈥� said Eve Myers, a consultant with Strive Public Policy Resources, a political consulting and lobbying firm that is tracking adoption of the program. 鈥淚t鈥檚 potentially a distraction from their focus on the budget, student achievement, school safety and all the other pressing issues they must address.鈥�

Texas has over 1,200 districts and about 600 charter schools with elementary grades. Of the state鈥檚 20 largest districts, only Conroe, north of Houston, intends to use the program this fall. A shows that between May and late July, 144 districts and charters, mostly mid-sized or small, ordered the materials. 

State board members have asked for the total number of districts using Bluebonnet. 鈥淭hat’s the question we would all like to know,鈥� said Pam Little, a board member who voted against the reading program last November.  

Other districts could be using the online version of the materials, but whether students would have actual books, and spend less time on screens, was a major debate last year during the board鈥檚 consideration of the program.

State leaders and conservative advocates say the religious content reflects a classical and appropriate way to teach literacy skills along with history and culture. Others like the emphasis on cursive writing and challenging vocabulary. In an interview with 社区黑料 last year, State Commissioner of Education Mike Morath said a phonics-based curriculum that also builds students鈥� background knowledge can help the state recover from in reading skills due to the pandemic.

But the program sparked a statewide debate over whether political leaders are forcing Christianity into public schools. Bluebonnet makes its debut in the classroom at the same time schools will be required, under a new state law, to display the 10 Commandments. Gov. Greg Abbott also signed in June that allows districts to offer a daily, voluntary period of time to pray and read the Bible or other religious texts. Under a similar 2023 law, districts can hire chaplains to volunteer as counselors, but aren鈥檛 participating.  

鈥淭here is definitely a disconnect between the radical far right agenda 鈥� and what school boards who are accountable to local families and students are actually going to do,鈥� said Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, senior director of policy and advocacy at the Interfaith Alliance, a national group that advocates for church-state separation. Texas, he said, is 鈥渢aking away the rights of clergy and parents to lead religious instruction.鈥�

鈥楬ard on the teacher鈥�

In the 73,000-student Conroe school district, Dayren Carlisle, a curriculum director, said leaders picked Bluebonnet because teachers were previously working with a patchwork of materials. They often spent 鈥渁rduous hours preparing for reading and writing instruction,鈥� she told 社区黑料 in an email. Bluebonnet provides a coherent set of lessons that meet state standards, she said.

But parent Christine Yates advocated against it. 

鈥淚 don’t think religious-based instruction belongs in any type of public school setting,鈥� said Yates, whose children will be in second and fourth grade this fall. Her family doesn鈥檛 attend church and she鈥檚 concerned that the lessons dealing with faith are just 鈥渂orrowing trouble.鈥� 

Becky Sherrill, a former Conroe teacher, sympathizes with educators who will have to navigate parent鈥檚 requests to opt their children out of the lessons. It鈥檚 a right that many parents might be more likely to exercise this fall because of a June U.S. Supreme Court opinion in favor of religious families who want their children exempted from hearing stories with LGBTQ themes.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hard on the teacher. It’s already so hard at Christmas or even with birthdays,鈥� Sherrill said, referring to Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses she has had as students. 鈥淵ou can’t give some kids cupcakes because they don’t celebrate birthdays.鈥�

She鈥檚 already homeschooling her middle school son and has pulled her daughter, a fifth grader, out of the district as well, largely because of Bluebonnet and the 10 Commandments law. 

At a May board meeting, Carlisle explained to the board how teachers will field requests from parents who want to opt their children out of the lessons. 

鈥淚f a parent were to complain about this鈥� we would have to find a completely different text,鈥� she said. 

But that didn鈥檛 sit well with Tiffany Baumann Nelson, one of three , who call themselves Mama Bears, elected in 2022.

鈥淭here is no religion in this curriculum,鈥� she argued. 鈥淭hey’re all historical references, and so in my opinion, there should be no alternative or modifications.鈥�

Whether districts are removing biblical material or parents are opting their children out of the lessons, Little, the state board member, worries students could miss literacy skills they are supposed to learn. 

鈥淪ay an East Asian religious parent has decided they don’t want their child to have [a Bible story]. Is that child going to miss skill development?鈥� she asked. Accommodating parents鈥� requests will also be a burden on district staff. 鈥淲hat is the cost involved in the manpower time for these districts to go through and eliminate the religious content? There was no need for the controversy that the religious content is going to start.鈥� 

鈥�Reviewed it and loved it鈥�

The state board narrowly approved the new program last fall after the Texas Education Agency spent roughly $84 million to adapt an existing reading curriculum, from the company Amplify. Renamed Bluebonnet, after the state flower, the Texas version includes highlights of Jesus鈥� ministry and offers an evangelical view of early American history. Lessons for example, include the , an art history unit based on the creation story from Genesis and scriptural references to the motto on the . 

The agency, which would not provide a list of all districts that have ordered the program, paid multiple companies and content experts to craft and review the lessons, including the far-right Texas Public Policy Foundation. Hillsdale College, a Christian school in Michigan, volunteered to work on units related to America鈥檚 founding, and a Christian media company, co-founded by Mike Huckabee, U.S. ambassador to Israel, contributed illustrations. But Texas officials refused to identify who wrote the biblical passages. 

In response to backlash, officials added more references to Islam and Hinduism and removed some texts that were offensive to Jews, but the final version still references Christianity more than other religions.

鈥淲e reviewed it and loved it,鈥� said Cindi Castilla, president of the Texas Eagle Forum, a conservative organization. She pushed for state board approval of the curriculum last year, saying that there is 鈥渞ichness in biblical literature鈥� and that Bible stories teach children character traits and the origins of the legal system. 

Since then, she examined the final version with retired educators who have experience teaching a classical curriculum and thinks it will strengthen students鈥� cursive and phonics skills. That鈥檚 why Gina Eubank wishes her grandchildren鈥檚 school districts 鈥� Katy, near Houston, and Belton, near Waco 鈥� had adopted the materials. 

鈥淚 watched 鈥� fourth- and sixth-grade honor students write a thank you note and was shocked by what I saw 鈥� the lack of legible handwriting and the horrific spelling,鈥� she said.

鈥楶romote, market and advertise鈥�

Districts on the fence about Bluebonnet can reconsider their decision next year. To make it more enticing, lawmakers added financial incentives 鈥� up to $60 per student for districts that use state-approved materials. That was likely one reason why the 27,000-student Lubbock schools adopted it, said Clinton Gill, a former math and science teacher in the district who now works for the Texas State Teachers Association.

At the same time, he thinks district leaders assume students will stand a better chance of performing well on the state test if officials match it up to a curriculum the state developed. Adopting Bluebonnet 鈥渁lso helps the district not have to hire staff to write curriculum when they get it from the state for free.鈥�

The per-student bonus isn鈥檛 the only way the state aims to ensure Bluebonnet becomes the preferred choice. In December, the month after the board approved it, the Texas Education Agency quickly made Bluebonnet available to order. Materials from other publishers weren鈥檛 available until May.

鈥淚t seems that Bluebonnet Learning had an advantage,鈥� Little told Morath, the commissioner, during . She said she heard complaints from publishers over the issue.

Morath called the delay a 鈥渙ne-time exacerbated problem鈥� because the state had to add new language to contracts with publishers before making their materials available to districts. While the time lapse should be shorter next year, he said there would always be some gap.

In the current , lawmakers authorized Morath to contract with businesses to 鈥減romote, market and advertise鈥� Bluebonnet. A provides $243 million to districts to help with implementation costs, like coaching for teachers. 

Last year鈥檚 budget included $10 million for regional education service centers to do similar work for districts adopting Bluebonnet. The centers are expected to for increasing the number of districts using the materials in their region to stay eligible for future funding. 

Some leaders in the state say that top-down pressure could alter the relationship the centers have traditionally had with school systems in their regions. They help districts, especially smaller ones with fewer central office staff, stay in compliance with state regulations or work on school improvement. 

The service centers have always been a 鈥渉ub of knowledge,鈥� said Martha Salazar-Zamora, superintendent of the Tomball Independent School District, north of Houston. Expecting districts to sell Bluebonnet, she said, 鈥渉as been more of a strategic push.鈥�

She doesn鈥檛 doubt that Bluebonnet will boost reading scores for some students, but Tomball is already rated a in the state鈥檚 accountability system.  Another reason why she didn鈥檛 consider the program is because a Spanish version is not yet available. Her district, where about 35% of students are , has a Spanish-English .

鈥淚 love anything that helps kids,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just don’t think it’s the right tool for every district.鈥�