Texas Embeds Bible Stories Into Public School Reading Standards for Millions of Students

Texas's State Board of Education voted June 26 to require Bible passages and stories in public school reading curricula alongside classic literature, affecting the nation's second-largest school system. The requirement flows from a 2023 state law mandating standardized reading lists by grade level. Elementary students encounter the material first. The curriculum change carries constitutional risk—legal challenges would likely reach the conservative Fifth Circuit, where recent Supreme Court doctrine on religion in public institutions has shifted favorably toward historical practices.