(NewsNation) — Texas’ state board of education will vote Friday on a proposal to allow Bible stories in English and Language Arts curriculum that could be used in public schools throughout the state.
The decision follows months of intense public discussion over a new optional curriculum that many say furthers a Christian perspective in public education, blurring lines between church and state.
During a preliminary vote Tuesday, eight of 15 state school board members voted for the new public school curriculum, Bluebonnet Learning.
Under the plan, it would be optional for schools to adopt the system, but there would be a monetary incentive for schools do so.
Texas education officials say annually, schools would get $40 per student using Bluebonnet.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA), which oversees primary and secondary public education, came out with the new curriculum earlier this year, which covers kindergarten through fifth grade.
In September, the state board listened to hours of testimony from parents and groups who both supported and opposed the curriculum, reported KXAN.
Supporters argued students have a right to study Bible stories in an academic setting, adding they beleive it helps with reading comprehension.
“This is not a religious curriculum where we’re studying world religions, and it’s not a history
class where we’re studying history,” Mary Castle, the director of government relations for Texas Values, said. “It’s a class that is English Language Arts, and any time that there is a reference, which there are several references throughout literature, where there is Bible references, they go at liberty to explain those texts for students.”
Groups that opposed the curriculum said that it overemphasizes Christianity over other religions, and uses detailed Bible lessons that are “unnecessary and unwarranted,” more suited to “Christian Sunday School than nonsectarian public schools,” the outlet reported.
The kindergarten curriculum would introduce Jesus and his Sermon on the Mount to five-year-olds while a fifth-grade lesson on Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” includes lengthy verses from the Gospel of Matthew.
“Parents deserve to know whether their kids are being preached to at school. We’re sending them to public school, not Sunday school,” Emily Witt, the senior communications and media strategist for Texas Freedom Network which opposes the curriculum, told the outlet.
While adopting the curriculum would be optional, school districts would receive a financial incentive to implement it, reported The New York Times.
Texas has about 2.3 million public school students in kindergarten through fifth grade who could be taught the new curriculum.
The TEA modified the curriculum following the September discussion but many, including the Texas Freedom Network, say it’s still not ready to be approved.
The public will have a chance to testify to the education board once again on Monday. If approved, the curriculum would be ready for districts to use by August 2025.
The controversy over the curriculum is emblematic of struggles taking place across the country over Christian teachings being used in public school settings.
In several states, including Texas, lawmakers have been attempting to require schools to hang the Ten Commandments in public classrooms.
NewsNation reporter Xavier Walton contributed to this report.