In a highly controversial move, the Texas board of education voted 8-7 on Friday to approve a new optional Bible-based curriculum for kindergarten through fifth grade public school classes. The curriculum, titled “Bluebonnet Learning,” could be implemented as early as the 2025-2026 school year.
While teachers will have the choice to opt into the faith-based learning material, the state is incentivizing participation by offering school districts $60 per student who uses the curriculum. This financial enticement has drawn sharp criticism from parents, educators, and civil rights groups who argue it violates the constitutional separation of church and state.
Curriculum Draws Outrage Over Religious Freedom Concerns
Opponents of the Bluebonnet curriculum argue it blatantly disregards the religious diversity and freedoms that have been a foundation of American public education. The Texas ACLU slammed the decision, urging school districts to reject the “state-sponsored religion” being imposed on public classrooms.
“The Bluebonnet curriculum flagrantly disregards religious freedom, a cornerstone of our nation since its founding. The same politicians censoring what students can read now want to impose state-sponsored religion onto our public schools.”
– Caro Achar, Texas ACLU Engagement Coordinator for Free Speech
Examples from the curriculum reveal overt Christian themes and Bible references woven into core subjects like English and social studies. In one lesson, kindergarteners learn about the “golden rule” of treating others as you want to be treated in the context of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Third graders study the life of Jesus and his birth in Bethlehem as part of a unit on ancient Rome.
Educators and Advocates Warn of Discrimination
Teachers’ unions and education advocates warn the optional Bible-based curriculum will lead to discrimination against students of other faiths. A spokesperson for the Texas State Teachers Association stated the lessons amount to “Christian Sunday school” instruction that the public school system “was not intended to provide and should not provide.”
“Students who observe religions other than Christianity, in effect, will be discriminated against because their own religions will be all but ignored.”
– Spokesperson, Texas State Teachers Association
The approval comes amid a push by conservative Texas lawmakers to allow taxpayer funds to follow students to private religious schools through “school choice” voucher programs. Critics see the Bible curriculum as part of a broader agenda to divert money from public education toward Christian institutions.
Concerns Over Christian Nationalism in Schools
Some Texans view the vote as the latest example of “Christian nationalism” influencing public education in the state. Bryan Henry, a Cypress parent and advocate with Cypress Families for Public Schools, called the optional curriculum “insidious,” noting it comes as Texas schools are “starving” for adequate funding.
“What I find particularly insidious about it is the fact that they are going to incentivize school districts to adopt the curriculum in exchange for extra funding at a time when the state government is starving public schools of needed money because they want vouchers for private Christian schools.”
– Bryan Henry, Cypress Families for Public Schools
Jewish groups have also sounded the alarm over the Bible curriculum’s approval, arguing it threatens the separation of church and state that is a “cornerstone of our democracy.” Darcy Hirsh, government relations director for the National Council of Jewish Women, expressed devastation over Texas implementing a curriculum based on “one specific interpretation of the Bible.”
Debate Likely to Continue as Implementation Looms
As Texas school districts weigh whether to adopt the Bluebonnet Learning material, the heated debate over Bible-based lessons in public elementary classrooms shows no signs of abating. Supporters argue exposure to Biblical teachings is essential for understanding literature and history, while detractors claim it’s a slippery slope violating the First Amendment.
With the impact on religious minorities and the broader principle of government neutrality toward religion at stake, eyes will be on the Lone Star State to see how many districts take up the controversial curriculum ahead of the 2025 school year. As the latest front in the battle over the role of religion in public schools, the outcome in Texas could have implications for similar policies and curriculum proposals nationwide.
