The Texas State Board of Education advanced a new optional Bible-based curriculum for kindergarten through fifth grade on Tuesday, marking a significant step in Republican-led efforts to incorporate religious teachings into public schools.

Known as the “Bluebonnet” textbook, the proposed curriculum includes lessons from the Bible, such as the Golden Rule and stories from Genesis. While adoption of the curriculum would be optional for schools, those that implement it would qualify for additional funding. A final vote on the measure is scheduled for Friday.

The proposal has drawn heated debate, with emotional testimony from educators, parents, and advocates at the board’s final meeting of the year. Critics argue the curriculum risks alienating students from diverse religious backgrounds and undermines the secular mission of public education. Proponents contend it provides students with a well-rounded educational foundation rooted in historical texts.

“This curriculum fails to meet the standard of an honest, secular one,” said educator Megan Tessler during Monday’s testimony. “Public schools are meant to educate, not indoctrinate.”

Supporters like Cindy Asmussen countered, “Parents and teachers want a return to excellence. Stories and concepts in the Bible have been common for hundreds of years, and they are a core part of classical learning.”

Religious experts and groups such as the Texas Freedom Network, which monitors the state’s education board, criticized the proposal for heavily focusing on Christianity and omitting critical historical topics like slavery.

The curriculum, developed by the state’s public education agency, reflects broader national efforts to bring religious teachings into classrooms, sparking debates over the separation of church and state in public education.