Texas first state to mandate Bible reading in school

The State Board of Ed- ucation gave final approval last week to a new required reading list for every grade level and also passed a re - write of the state's social studies requirements for kindergarten to eighth grade, the Austin Amer -

ican-Statesman reported. Both plans include Bibli - cal concepts, essentially making the state the first in the nation to mandate the teaching of Christianity in public school classrooms.

"We are bringing the Bible back into schools this week for the first time in 60 years," SBOE member Brandon Hall, R-Aledo, said during a prayer ses - sion outside the hearing this week.