Texas to make Bible excerpts mandatory reading across grades starting 2030

Texas’ State Board of Education approved a broader statewide reading list that will require Bible passages as mandatory reading for millions of public school students, with the rollout starting in elementary grades in 2030. Excerpts from books such as Jonah, Psalms, Lamentations, and Genesis will be added at various levels, expanding on a 2023 law that requires multiple texts per grade. Teachers can still assign other works beyond the list. The plan drew opposition over church-state separation and concerns of bias toward older, white-male authors, while supporters argue Judeo-Christian traditions were foundational to the country. It follows last year’s move to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms and highlights Texas’ growing influence on national education policy.