The Texas State Board of Education has taken a major step toward incorporating biblical texts into public school classrooms, with selections such as the Book of Job moving closer to being taught alongside classic works like The Cat in the Hat.
During a Thursday vote, the board gave preliminary approval to a statewide reading list that includes more than a dozen excerpts from the Bible, which would be required for millions of students if finalized.
The Republican-led board approved the measure in a 9–5 vote, setting the stage for a final decision in June. If adopted, the reading requirements would become mandatory across all Texas public schools beginning in 2030.
The vote had previously been delayed earlier this year after debate over an initial draft of the Literary Works List, which was developed by the Texas Education Agency under House Bill 1605, passed by lawmakers in 2023.
If the proposal receives final approval, it would apply to roughly 5.4 million students from kindergarten through 12th grade, requiring them to read designated texts either in full or in part alongside widely recognized literary works.
Among the Bible selections listed are teachings and passages such as “The Golden Rule” for kindergarten, “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” for first grade, and “The Road To Damascus” for third grade.
Additional readings include “Do Not Be Anxious / Matthew 6:25-34” for sixth grade, along with “Jonah and the Whale,” “The Definition of Love (1 Corinthians 13),” and “The Shepherd's Psalm (Psalm 23)” for seventh grade.
Eighth-grade students would study “The Eight Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12),” while high school courses would assign longer biblical narratives, including “David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)” and “The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9).”
Upper-level English classes would also feature passages such as “To Everything There is a Season (Ecclesiastes 3)” and selected chapters from the Book of Job.
The proposed list draws from several well-known Bible translations, including the English Standard Version, New International Reader's Version, and King James Version, as well as the Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh 1917 for Lamentations 3.
In addition to Scripture, the required reading list features a range of classic literature, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Peter Rabbit, Fahrenheit 451, The Odyssey, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and A Wrinkle in Time, along with speeches like I Have a Dream.
While the board previously approved an optional Bible-based curriculum for elementary schools in November 2024, the newly advanced reading list would be mandatory for all public schools statewide.
If formally adopted, the list would be incorporated into Texas’ official academic standards, known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, with corresponding provisions for Spanish-language instruction and English learners.
