Bible-based curriculum in public schools discussed

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas State Board of Education will hold a final vote on Friday to determine whether a bible based curriculum would be introduced to public elementary schools in the 2025-26 school year.

On Tuesday, the board narrowly voted to move forward with the lesson plan.

The learning material is part of the Bluebonnet Learning Curriculum.

If approved, Texas public elementary schools will have the option to incorporate it next school year.

Schools that opt-in can receive additional state funds, totaling roughly $60 per student.

Zeph Capo, the President of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, said the Bluebonnet Learning plan would be unconstitutional and make students from different religious backgrounds feel excluded.

The curriculum focuses primarily on lessons from Christianity.

“Public schools are the place where everybody from different backgrounds, whether it’s different religious backgrounds, different cultural backgrounds, different economic backgrounds should be able to come together and all have an equal seat at the table," Capo said. “It seems like all of these initiatives are being put together to pit one against the other or put some people at a higher chair instead of others and that’s just not right. That’s not what we do at public schools.”

Capo said teachers from across the state have expressed concerns over possibly having to teach religion in their classrooms.

George McShan, an education advocate and consultant who served on the Harlingen school board for over 30 years, said the introduction of this Bible-based curriculum could have legal consequences.

"Are we in the business to educate? To prepare them for college? To prepare them for the workforce?" mcShan said. "Or are we in the business of doing character moral through the teaching of faith? That is a question and a challenge I think the legal system will embrace.”

Capo addressed the same legal concerns and said consequences are more likely to fall on the school districts if parents retaliate.

"Is the state putting it out optionally so that they're not the ones that get sued by families and others that think that the state is now choosing a preferred religion?" Capo said. "Or are they going to hand all of that over to school districts to implement this?"

Governor Greg Abbott has shown support for the curriculum since it was first created by the Texas Education Agency.