Texas approves optional Bible-based lessons for public schools

Texas gave final approval Friday to optional biblical lesson plans for kindergarten through 5th grade classes in state public schools.

The State Board of Education voted 8-7 to allow lessons on topics such as Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and the Last Supper, structured by the state-created Bluebonnet Learning.

Schools are not required to implement the curriculum — but would receive an additional $60 per student in funding if administrators adopt it.

The curriculum will be available for the 2025-2026 school year.

The measure is supported by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who said back in May the lessons “will bring students back to the basics of education and provide the necessary fundamentals in math, reading, science, and other core subjects.”

“The materials will also allow our students to better understand the connection of history, art, community, literature, and religion on pivotal events like the signing of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Movement, and the American Revolution,” Abbott added.

Critics have said the curriculum disproportionately focuses on Christianity over other religions and is simply another attempt to blur the lines between church and state.

“Texas AFT [American Federation of Teachers] believes that 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. These prescriptive materials cannot meet all learners in all contexts, and teachers must be empowered to adapt to the needs of their students,” the group said in a statement.

The State Board of Education heard hours of testimony from more than 150 people this week for and against the curriculum.

The move is likely to be challenged in court, as have related measures approved by some of Texas's neighboring states.

Louisiana is looking to add posters of the Ten Commandments into all public school classrooms, while Oklahoma is adding copies of the Bible to classrooms and mandating the book be used in lessons. Both states are facing legal challenges.