The State Board of Education has approved a required reading list for Texas’ more than 5 million public school students that includes passages from the Bible. It passed in a 9-5-1 vote Friday afternoon.
Its implementation is part of ongoing efforts by far-right conservatives to bring more Christian teachings into Texas public school classrooms. Last year, Texas became the largest state to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms.
Nine Republicans on the Board—LJ Francis, Will Hickman, Julie Pickren, Audrey Young, Keven Ellis, Tom Maynard, Brandon Hall, Pam Little, and Aaron Kinsey—voted yes. One Republican, Evelyn Brooks, voted no.
Democrats Gustavo Reveles, Marisa Perez-Diaz, Staci Childs, and Tiffany Clark also voted no. Democrat Rebecca Bell-Metereau was absent from the vote.
The list has drawn criticism from education advocates for not only including religious texts, but for being too long, outdated, and lacking diversity. Its implementation will be staggered across grade levels, starting with elementary school students in 2030.
See the final list, obtained by Courier Texas from the Texas Freedom Network, below:
