In a significant move to restore the teachings of American heritage, the Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education approved a new required reading list that mandates the inclusion of passages from the Bible for public school students across all grade levels.

The final vote passed 9-5 along party lines on Friday.

This makes Texas the first state in the nation to establish a statewide mandated literary program that includes specific Bible excerpts alongside classic works of literature.

There are more than five million public school students in the state.

The new requirements build directly on House Bill 1605, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2023.

That law directed the State Board of Education to identify at least one required literary work for every grade level as part of efforts to strengthen reading instruction and provide high-quality, transparent instructional materials.

The Board went further, creating a comprehensive list of roughly 200 texts that schools must assign to students.

Students are required to read these works in their entirety or as specified, with teachers able to add materials but not substitute for or remove the state-mandated ones.

Examples of the required biblical passages include Jonah and the Whale, David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lion’s Den for early elementary school students; The Necessity of Humility (Luke 14:7-11) and selections from Exodus including the Burning Bush and the Parting of the Red Sea for upper elementary students; Do Not Be Anxious (Matthew 6:25-34), The Shepherd’s Psalm (Psalm 23), The Eight Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), To Everything There Is a Season (Ecclesiastes 3), and Lamentations Chapter 3 for middle schoolers; and The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), extensive selections from the Book of Job, Adam and Eve (Genesis 2-3), and The Definition of Love (1 Corinthians 13) for high school students.

The passages will be included alongside classics such as Charlotte’s Web, Great Expectations, Pride and Prejudice, Shakespeare’s works, and important American historical documents.

The new requirements will be phased in beginning with the 2030-2031 school year for elementary students, with full rollout to middle and high school grades in subsequent years.

This timeline gives districts and educators ample time to prepare the curriculum, acquire materials, and train teachers.

Under existing Texas law, parents will be able to request alternative assignments if a required text conflicts with their family’s beliefs.

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