MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — The State Board of Education is considering adding stories like David and Goliath to the curriculum, sparking debate among parents over the separation of church and state.
- Texas is considering adding stories and passages from the Bible to the required reading lists for public school students
- The proposal includes verses from the Book of Matthew for sixth graders, Jonah and Psalms for seventh graders, and the story of David and Goliath for high school English students
- Central Texas parents are divided on the issue, with some expressing concerns over the separation of church and state, while others see the value in teaching the texts as literature or for moral lessons.
- The State Board of Education is expected to vote on the proposed list in June, and any approved changes would not take effect until 2030, according to other media outlets.
You can watch the full story here:
Change may be coming to the state's required reading list for students, and it could include books from the Hebrew Bible, including both the New and Old Testaments.
The proposed list is expected to be voted on this coming June, but any approved changes won't be implemented until 2030.
Starting in sixth grade, students will read verses out of the Book of Matthew. In seventh grade, students will read from Jonah, Corinthians and excerpts from Psalms. In English 1, 2, 3 and 4, students will read the story of David and Goliath, the Book of Lamentations and about the Tower of Babel.
The following list is based on the information from the State Board of Education Agenda
Grade 6 ├-- Do Not Be Anxious (Book of Matthew, Chapter 6 Verses 25- 34) New Testament (trans. ESV)
Grade 7 ├-- Jonah and the Whale (Book of Jonah) Hebrew Bible / Old Testament (trans. NIRV)
Grade 7 ├-- The Definition of Love (Book of 1 Corinthians, Chapter 13) New Testament (trans. ESV)
Grade 7 └── The Shepherd's Psalm (Book of Psalms, Chapter 23) Hebrew Bible / Old Testament (trans. KJV)
Grade 8 ├-- The Eight Beatitudes (Book of Matthew, Chapter 5 Verses 1-12) New Testament (trans. KVJ)
English I ├-- David and Goliath (Book of 1 Samuel, Chapter 17) Hebrew Bible / Old Testament (trans. NIRV)
English I ├-- Lamentations 3 (Book of Lamentations, Chapter 3) Hebrew Bible / Old Testament
English II ├-- The Tower of Babel (Book of Genesis, Chapter 11 Verses 1-9) Hebrew Bible / Old Testament (trans. NIRV)
English III ├-- To Everything There is a Season (Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3) Hebrew Bible / Old Testament (trans. KJV)
English IV ├-- The Book of Job (Book of Job, Chapters 1-7, 11, 14, 19, 28, 38- 42) Hebrew Bible / Old Testament (trans. NIRV)
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According to the State Board of Education, student expectations range from describing the origins of Christianity to describe Moses as a historical figure who led the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and later served as inspiration for African Americans held in slavery in America and Texas
Comments from parents across Central Texas showed up on our Facebook page expressing their feelings about Bible stories being added to the public school curriculum.
"Separation of church and state," one commented.
"It’s not the job of a teacher to educate my child on religion," another commented.
25 News reporter Dominique Leh met with a few of our neighbors to get their take on the proposal.
"When it comes to public schools, I feel like it should be a little bit more secular," Harris Siddiq said.
"The fact of the matter is the baseline is, is that it is literature, it is a book," Jane Vaughn said.
As for literature, some like Harris Siddiq, who is Muslim, believe certain aspects of the Bible bring morality to kids.
"I understand if it comes from the Old Testament stories that all three monotheistic religions believe in, you know, Judaism, Christianity, Islam. I understand that when it comes to just a moral value, but when it comes to just Christianity, I feel like that's the reason we have private schools in Texas. That's why you have the ability to send your kids to private schools," Siddiq said.
I also sat down with another neighbor, Jane Vaughn, who showed me previous Texas Education Agency legislation. While she is a Christian, she believes all cultures should be respected.
"I've skimmed through, uh, some of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and I don't see where there's actually preaching going on. They're using it strictly for the story bases," Vaugh said
"if everyone is going to have an understanding and respect for other cultures, then why not for this culture as well. I mean, again, it's playing devil's advocate." Vaughn added
We have reached out to the TEA for comment, and information regarding the proposal, but have not heard back
It was previously reported that Jane Vaughn was not a Christian, the correction has since been made after the story aired.
For more information, you can visit the links below:
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=ED&chapter=ED.28&artSec=28.002
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
