The State Board of Education on Friday, Nov. 22, approved reading curriculum for public elementary schools that has received backlash for including lessons based on Bible stories, like the Good Samaritan, Moses parting the Red Sea, the 10 commandments and the creation story.

The Bluebonnet Learning’s curriculum received preliminary approval on Nov. 19 from the 15 member board, with three of the board’s Republicans joining Democratic members in their opposition. The final vote Friday was 8-7.

Schools do not have to use the curriculum. However, if they do use it, they get up to $60 per student for instructional materials and related costs.

There were more than 5.5 million students enrolled in Texas public schools during the 2023-24 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Patricia Hardy, a Republican representing the Fort Worth area, voted against adopting the curriculum. Newly appointed board member Leslie Recine, a Republican who represents part of Tarrant County, voted to adopt it.

Recine, a Republican political organizer appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Nov. 1, filled the seat of Aicha Davis, a Democrat who was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in November.

Next year, Democrat Tiffany Clark, who ran unopposed in November, will take over the seat.

After her vote on Nov. 19, Hardy she said she supported “biblical principles being included in school” but that the curriculum is “not age-appropriate and does not follow evidence-based methods for teaching elementary students how to read.”

Following the Nov. 22 meeting, Hardy in an interview said that educators she spoke with did not feel that the Bluebonnent Learning curriculum was age and grade appropriate. Hearing from hundreds of constituents, more people said they did not want the curriculum than those wanted it, Hardy added.

Hardy said she wants to see students learn to read, not put pressure on them that could be harmful if the material is too heavy.

“Really and truly, if I thought it was educationally as sound as it needed to be, I’d be in favor of it,” she said.

Supporters say the lessons help students in kindergarten through fifth grade better understand literature, U.S. and Texas history and religion’s role in it, but opponents say it puts a disproportionate focus on Christianity.

Hardy said she’s a Christian and very involved in her church, but that it’s not quite proper “to force other people to be exposed to that if they don’t want to be.” She noted that schools who use the curriculum do not have to use all of the lessons, offering some flexibility.

“The stories themselves are very valuable — you know, Good Samaritan, that sort of thing, are very universal ways of doing things — but I think it could be a little bit of a slippery slope with the religious thing,” Hardy said.

The curriculum’s approval was supported by Republican state leaders Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan. It follows the passage of a 2023 bill related to open access to instructional materials for districts.

“The passage of Bluebonnet Learning is a critical step forward to bring students back to the basics of education and provide the best education in the nation,” Abbott said in a statement. “These transformative educational materials are voluntary and free for schools and teachers to use. And with parents also able to access these materials online, we will ensure young Texans have access to high-quality, grade-level appropriate curricula that will provide the necessary fundamentals in math, reading, science, and other core subjects and boost student outcomes across Texas. I thank the Texas Education Agency for working tirelessly to bolster students’ educational foundation and equip them with the knowledge they need to lead bright, successful lives in Texas.”

In a statement following the Nov. 22 vote, Patrick said the “high-quality curriculum will ensure all students are receiving appropriate grade-level instruction and is an important step to boosting student outcomes statewide.”

During the meeting, District 3 Board Member Marisa Pérez-Díaz, who represents the San Antonio area and part of South Texas, said that while other faiths are recognized, the curriculum is biased toward Christianity.

“I still feel that in terms of how lessons are being taught, there are ways to separate the moral of the lesson from religious teaching,” said Pérez-Díaz, who voted against the curriculum.

Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said the curriculum undermines religious freedom in a statement following the vote.

“The teaching of religious doctrine should stay in our places of worship where it belongs,” Hinojosa said.

The ACLU of Texas also condemned the curriculum’s adoption.

“The same politicians censoring what students can read now want to impose state-sponsored religion onto our public schools,” the ACLU of Texas said in a post on X.

Rep. David Cook, a Mansfield Republican who is running for House Speaker, said “this is the way” in a social media post following the state board’s vote, quoting Proverbs 22:6.

“Start Children of on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it,” Cook said on X.

Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, said in a statement that the approval of the curriculum will “provide more students with the opportunity to attain essential knowledge and skills while achieving a deeper understanding of the world around them.”

“I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Texas House this upcoming session to further support our students with enhanced lesson quality and enriched learning opportunities,” Phelan said.

This story was originally published November 22, 2024, 12:31 PM.