Edcouch-Elsa ISD approves controversial religious-infused curriculum

EDCOUCH — The school district here approved Bluebonnet Learning for the 2025-26 school year, a controversial state-developed curriculum infused with Biblical references and teachings.

Passing the consent agenda item with no public discussion from the board on Wednesday at a public meeting, EEISD Superintendent Alda Benavides said the instructional materials are for kindergarten through fifth grade reading language arts and kindergarten through eighth grade math and Algebra 1.

“I don’t think (we had a public discussion) but we did have discussions with the curriculum committee,” Benavides said. “The curriculum committee was asked to go back to their campus and talk and illustrate the curriculum and discuss it.”

The Texas Education Agency-approved curriculum website states that Bluebonnet Learning was developed using the latest cognitive science and covers Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

“Bluebonnet Learning materials have a broad base of topics including history, literature, the arts, and culture which, when contextually relevant, can include religious topics sampling from a wide range of faiths,” the Frequently Asked Questions page stated.

It also states there is no religious instruction in the curriculum.

“I think that reality is that there’s lots of learning that needs to occur,” Benavides said. “It’s not actually promoting any religion but it’s using information to teach a concept. I mean, if it happens to be information that’s related to religion, well then so be it. But it’s not pushing any religion, it’s just using materials.”

EEISD will be receiving a $203,000 grant for the curriculum implementation.

Benavides said a pro of the curriculum is that it is ready to implement, but a con is that it will take time for teachers to understand the lessons and material.

Another aspect of implementing the curriculum is that EEISD will get an incentive of $60 per student if they use the Bluebonnet materials.

School districts currently get $6,160 per year for every student.

EEISD currently has 1,678 kindergarten through fifth grade students and 834 sixth through eighth graders. The total number of students using the curriculum is 2,512 which will garner the district an additional $150,720.

A coalition of groups oppose the curriculum, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Americans United for Separation of Church and State and more.

In a January letter to superintendents and school board members across the state, the advocacy groups urged districts and boards to reject the optional curriculum, describing it as unconstitutional.

“Religious freedom is a fundamental American value. It ensures that we each get to decide for ourselves what to believe about religion—and that families get to decide how and what they will teach their children,” the letter stated.

It goes on to say that state officials are using public schools to usurp that right, which they say sows distrust in schools and divides communities.

“That’s why the Bluebonnet curriculum, with its promotion of Christianity and the Bible, is so troubling,” they wrote. “Public school districts simply have no business proselytizing children about the state’s preferred religion. The curriculum violates religious freedom, which has been fundamental to our country since its founding.”

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