Texas Board to Vote on Mandatory Bible Reading for Schools

The Texas State Board of Education is scheduled to hold a final vote on Friday, June 26, 2026, on a proposal that would mandate Bible stories and passages as required reading for the state's approximately 5.5 million public school students. If approved, the new standards would take effect in 2030.

The proposal, which received preliminary approval earlier this week, would create a statewide required reading list from kindergarten through high school, an approach education observers describe as highly unusual. The list includes picture-book stories like "David and Goliath" for elementary students, New Testament passages about Jesus for fourth graders, and selections such as the parable of the prodigal son and portions of the Book of Job for high school students. One pairing would connect a reading from the Book of Lamentations with literature about the Holocaust.

Supporters argue the curriculum is necessary to accurately reflect the nation's founding principles. "We need to focus on what our nation was founded on and not apologize for that," said Susan Perez, founder of Citizens for Education Reform, in testimony to the board. "It is the truth and we should not be afraid." Several...