Overview
- The Texas State Board of Education voted to finalize a required statewide reading list that includes specified Bible passages, a decision the board completed on June 26, 2026 and set to roll out starting in the 2030–31 school year.
- The list covers roughly 200 titles and asks fourth graders and up to read at least one Bible passage per year while prescribing picture‑book Bible stories for younger students, with parents allowed to opt their children out of specific readings.
- The board’s vote split largely along partisan lines, reported as 9–5 or 9–5–1, reflecting a GOP majority that framed the change as cultural literacy and character education.
- Civil‑liberties and secular groups say the requirement privileges Christianity and plan legal challenges, while legal experts note Supreme Court precedent allows objective study of scripture but bars government actions whose primary effect advances religion.
- Education and market effects to watch include disputes over translation choices, teacher autonomy and grading, potential influence on textbook publishers because of Texas’s market size, and statements from other states, notably Florida, signaling openness to similar rules.