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The Texas State Board of Education on June 26 approved a mandatory reading list for public schools that includes select stories from the Bible.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Getty Images<\/p>\n
USA TODAY Network, Reuters<\/p>\n
After the Texas Board of Education approved Bible passages as required reading for public school students last week, Florida education officials indicated the state could be open to similar policies.<\/p>\n
Florida often adopts conservative policies on the heels of the Lone Star State, and the state\u2019s Department of Education indicated it did not oppose use of the Bible in Florida public school classrooms.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be nearly impossible for students to have a complete understanding of the Founding Fathers without being familiar with the great books and writings that inspired many of their principles and ideals \u2014 and that includes the Bible,\u201d said Cassie Edwards, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education told the Miami Herald. But Florida currently doesn\u2019t have any similar mandates. The Department of Education did not indicate if this was a priority.<\/p>\n
The Republican-controlled Texas Board of Education approved on Friday a mandated reading list for the state\u2019s 5 million public school students that includes Bible passages, like excerpts from the New Testament and Biblical stories like Jonah and the whale, as well as standard literature and historical American texts.<\/p>\n
The decision reflects Texas\u2019 wider effort to infuse religion into public education \u2014 an agenda that has been backed by the Trump Administration which has vowed to protect and expand religious freedom in public schools nationwide. Texas required the Ten Commandments<\/a> to be displayed in public schools last year.<\/p>\n The state-mandated reading list appears to be the first of its kind in the United States system of public education, according to The Associated Press<\/a>. The required Biblical passages and stories impact elementary, middle and high school levels and will take effect in the 2030-2031 school year.<\/p>\n The decision has divided teachers, parents and community members who showed up in droves at last week\u2019s meeting to voice their concerns or enthusiastic support, according to reporting from CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n Critics argued that religious stories should not be explicitly taught in public schools attended by students with a variety of different religious beliefs. Some teachers were also concerned about losing their discretion in deciding what students should be required to read. Normally, teachers are able to choose what their students read from a list of state-approved options.<\/p>\n Supporters argued that the required readings accurately reflect Judeo-Christian values that the U.S. was founded on.<\/p>\n Pro-Christianity policies in Florida<\/p>\n As Texas leads the way in statewide efforts to infuse Christian teachings in public schools, Florida doesn\u2019t seem to be far behind.<\/p>\n Recently, Florida has been highly focused on advocating for freedom of religious expression in schools, including efforts to protect prayer<\/a> and making it easier for students to be excused during class for religious instruction<\/a>.<\/p>\n Florida has in the past followed in Texas\u2019 footsteps when it comes to state mandates regarding public education. In 2023, for example, Texas voted to allow public schools to hire religious chaplains to counsel students. Florida adopted a similar policy<\/a> a year later.<\/p>\n In March, then-Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas announced a new complaint process<\/a> which allows parents and individuals to submit complaints to the department if they feel their rights to prayer and religious expression in schools are not being honored.<\/p>\n Education officials referenced new federal guidance on religious expression in March\u2019s decision, reiterating that public school students and employees have a right to act and speak in accordance with their religious beliefs, provided they do not invade the rights of others.<\/p>\n The state\u2019s attorney general has also signaled his support for religious instruction. In June, Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a legal opinion affirming<\/a> that all school districts must accommodate parents who want their children to leave or be absent from school for the purpose of receiving religious instruction.<\/p>\n In his opinion, Uthmeier said the rule change ensures that the younger generations are becoming \u201cproperly shaped\u201d in terms of civic, moral and religious character and allows parents to \u201chonor their sacred duties to raise their children in the faith.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe LORD\u2014author of our natural rights and duties\u2014requires nothing less,\u201d the attorney general wrote in his opinion.<\/p>\n Similarly, a Senate bill<\/a> that was considered by the Florida Legislature this year would have allowed a school district to purchase instructional materials developed by or under the direction of the Florida Department of Education.<\/p>\n The bill died before the end of session, but had some educational experts concerned that it would have opened the door for Florida to develop a Bible-based curriculum similar to the controversial \u201cBluebonnet\u201d textbook<\/a> that was adopted in Texas in 2024.<\/p>\n This story was produced with financial support<\/a> from Trish and Dan Bell and donors in South Florida\u2019s Jewish and Muslim communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza and the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.<\/p>\n
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