Religion in public education has become a flashpoint in state policy debates across the country. In Texas, that debate sharpened on June 26, when the State Board of Education approved a required public school reading list that includes Bible stories for students in a system serving more than 5 million children.
Texas board approved a statewide reading list on June 26
The Texas State Board of Education voted Friday, June 26, to approve a required reading list that includes Bible stories for public school students, according to reporting by The Associated Press and CBS Texas. The move applies across Texas public schools and expands the state’s use of religious content in classroom materials.
AP reported the reading list covers a public school system serving more than 5 million students. The stories included are drawn from the Bible and appear alongside other literary and historical texts, but the board’s action makes those passages part of required reading rather than an optional classroom supplement.
The vote follows earlier board actions involving religion in schools. Texas had already approved an optional Bible-infused elementary curriculum, known as Bluebonnet Learning, in November 2024 by an 8-7 vote, according to KERA News, Texas Public Radio and the Texas Education Agency.
That earlier curriculum included references to the Golden Rule, the Prodigal Son, the Book of Job and imagery tied to Christian scripture. The new June 26 action goes further by placing Bible stories on a required reading list, according to AP’s account of the board vote.
For Texas school districts, the decision affects what students are expected to read in class, but some implementation details remain unclear. Statewide, the ruling reaches one of the nation’s largest public school systems, though the state has not publicly released a complete district-by-district breakdown of how the required readings will be used in every classroom.
The Associated Press reported that Bible stories will now be part of required reading for Texas public school students. AP also said high school students will read selections including the parable of the prodigal son, portions of the Book of Job and the story of Adam and Eve.
Texas education officials have separately said Bluebonnet Learning materials approved by the board would be ready for classroom use beginning in the 2025-26 school year. The Texas Education Agency describes Bluebonnet Learning as approved through the state’s instructional materials review process for K-5 reading and language arts.
What is not yet known is whether local districts will receive additional implementation guidance tied specifically to the newly approved required reading list, or whether any legal challenges will alter the rollout. As of the latest reports, the board’s action stands as approved.
The board’s action did not happen in isolation. AP and other outlets have tied the vote to a broader conservative effort in Texas and other states to bring more religion into public school settings, particularly Christian teachings presented through literature, history and moral instruction.
Texas has already passed and advanced several related measures. AP reported that the state allows public schools to hire chaplains to counsel students, and recent coverage from CBS Texas said the state also mandates display of the Ten Commandments in classrooms, underscoring the wider policy context around religion and education.
The optional Bluebonnet curriculum approved in November 2024 grew out of changes in state instructional materials policy and offered financial incentives for districts that chose state-approved materials, according to ABC News, the Texas Tribune and Texas Education Agency materials. Supporters, including Gov. Greg Abbott after the 2024 vote, said the curriculum would return students to core academic instruction.
For Texas families and school staff, the immediate effect is that Bible stories are now part of required public school reading under a board-approved state framework. Any next steps, including district guidance, classroom integration or court review, will depend on state education officials and local schools in the months ahead.