Texas State Board of Education votes to require millions of students to study Bible stories | CNN

The Texas State Board of Education has approved a proposal that will establish lists of required reading — including Bible verses alongside classic titles — for its K-12 English and literature curriculum. The plan will impact more than 5 million public school students, as Texas emerges as a leader in a national conservative effort to infuse Christian teachings into American classrooms. Multiple titles will be mandated for each grade, and each one must be read “in its entirety.” The effort goes far beyond a 2023 law that requires at least one state board-approved literary work be taught in each grade level. While it is not unusual for states to suggest book titles for schools, Texas may be the first to prescribe a literary canon for every public school student, two experts told The Associated Press. Many Texas students are already familiar with at least some Christian teachings: The state last year became the largest state to require classrooms to display the Ten Commandments, a law recently upheld in federal court. The new list of required titles will include a picture-book adaptation of the David and Goliath story for elementary students and Bible passages about Adam and E

Jun 26, 2026 → Jun 27, 2026