Texas SBOE member gives ‘Glory to God’ for bringing Bible to public schools
Teaching the Bible in public school classrooms is just a step in the right direction, State Board of Education member Brandon Hall told an Arlington Republican club on Wednesday.
Last week, Hall was one of nine board members who approved a statewide social studies curriculum change and mandated reading list. Both include the Bible.
“We revised them for the first time in 16 years, and so that was a big consequential deal, and then also the literary works list,” Hall told the Freedom Fighters club. “Really, I don’t want to overstate this, I don’t want to exaggerate it in any way, but I truly believe that it’s a historic moment.”
Texas is the first state to require Biblical reading for all public school students. Other states have previously suggested teaching certain literary works, but now Texas has mandated each will “be read in its entirety.”
Hall, a Republican from Weatherford, said the momentous achievement wouldn’t have been possible had the Lord not paved the way.
“Glory to God” for breaking down barriers and moving hearts, Hall said.
In the 1963 case Abington School District v. Schempp, the Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvania’s law requiring student participation in religious activity was unconstitutional. The ruling still stands today.
Moral degeneracy, discipline issues and low literacy rates are products of removing the Bible from classrooms, Hall said.
When the state board’s changes go into place in the 2030-31 school year, Hall said public school students will have Texas values once again.
“This is something I’m not going to vote away to some socialists,” Hall said. “This is something we have to protect and keep with everything that we have. I’m very confident this is a good step in the right direction. We still have a lot of fighting left to do. This is just the beginning, but we accomplished something big.”