The Republican-led Texas Board of Education has narrowly approved a Bible-based curriculum that will be optional for students in elementary schools starting in the next academic year.
Friday’s 8–7 vote acts as the final stamp of approval on a religious lesson plan that teaches K–5 students about Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount message and the Good Samaritan parable, among other stories in the Bible. The state-approved Bluebonnet Learning will be in charge of creating the materials.
While the Christian lessons are not required, Texas school districts will receive $60 per student if administrators adopt the curriculum. Notably, each school district in the state can make its own decisions on what is taught in the classroom.
The plan was backed by Governor Greg Abbott, who said the lessons would help teach students about other subjects, such as art and literature, and how they connect to U.S. history.
Three Republicans on the Texas Board of Education joined all four Democrats in opposing the curriculum’s approval, the Texas Tribune reported. Republican member Leslie Recine, who was appointed to serve on the board by Abbott earlier this month, proved to be a crucial vote in favor of the curriculum. The governor tapped Recine to temporarily fill a vacant seat until her Democratic successor enters office next year.
Staci Childs, a Democrat who voted against the curriculum’s passage, said it will likely be challenged in court because, in her view, it violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment, which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The text applies to the federal government; the 14th Amendment extended the scope of the clause to the states.
Critics have said the curriculum places too much emphasis on Christianity over other religions and could ostracize non-Christian students. They also argue that the separation of church and state is undermined if public schools teach students about Christianity.
“Not only do these materials violate the separation of church and state and the academic freedom of our classroom, but also the sanctity of the teaching profession,” the Texas American Federation of Teachers said in a statement last week. “These prescriptive materials cannot meet all learners in all contexts, and teachers must be empowered to adapt to the needs of their students.”
Meanwhile, supporters of the Bluebonnet curriculum have highlighted the importance of understanding Christianity as it relates to the country’s history.
Earlier this week, more than 100 detractors and proponents made their case to the Texas Board of Education for more than seven hours before the body proceeded with votes.
Texas is one of a few states that have tried bringing Christian texts and teaching into public schools, but in doing so, they are facing legal challenges.
Louisiana requires the display of the Ten Commandments in K–12 schools statewide — the law requiring this is currently being litigated. Earlier this month, a federal judge blocked the Ten Commandments law from taking effect in January 2025. An appeals court temporarily stayed that ruling, allowing Louisiana to proceed with posting the Ten Commandments in school districts not involved in the litigation. However, the court later paused the law altogether as the state appeals the judge’s decision.
As the court battle continues, the Republican-controlled legislature in Texas is expected to revive a bill that mandates the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools. The legislation was killed after it failed to pass the state house last year. Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick has vowed to pass a similar bill next year.