Texas State Board of Education Approves Required Reading List Including Bible Passages

The Texas State Board of Education approved a required reading list on June 26, 2026, that includes passages from the Bible. The vote was 9-5, with one abstention, and it affects over 5 million public school students in Texas. The reading list features works such as Charles Dickens' 'Great Expectations' alongside New Testament passages. This decision is noted as potentially the first statewide required reading list of its kind in the United States. Critics have raised concerns that the list promotes Christianity over religious diversity and may blur the separation of church and state. Supporters argue that Judeo-Christian traditions are essential to the nation's founding and should be represented in education. The list will be implemented starting in the 2030-31 school year. This decision follows other education measures in Texas, including the hiring of chaplains in schools and the requirement to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. A Texas law mandates that at least one literary work be taught at each grade level, and the new reading list includes approximately 200 texts, including essays and Bible passages. Elva Mendoza from the Texas Freedom Network criticized the list for lacking diversity and not allowing flexibility in reading choices for teachers and students.