AUSTIN, Texas — A close vote last week by Texas education officials approved a controversial public school curriculum that critics say has too much Christian influence, and those textbooks will be distributed to classrooms by next fall. There is a possibility. Incentives to adopt this curriculum could cost states hundreds of millions of dollars.
As part of the original legislation that culminated in the Bluebonnet curriculum, House Bill 1605, school districts that adopt the curriculum will receive up to $60 per student in incentives from the state. $40 of that will be a general incentive, and the remaining $20 will go toward printing and shipping costs.
Legislation moving through the Texas Legislature will undergo a fiscal analysis from the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), which aims to show how much it would cost to implement the policy if it becomes law. Under certain assumptions, a financial analysis of HB 1605 showed that it could cost more than $200 million annually to fund these incentives.
The LBB analysis of HB 1605 assumes that 46% of Texas school districts will adopt at least one bluebonnet asset by next August, ultimately increasing to 81% by fall 2028. Under these assumptions, incentives to schools would range from $210 to $297 million annually.
Parents also worry that the school district will adopt a Bible-based curriculum to make up for budget shortfalls.
Analysts say the teaching is divisive, but given concerns over public education funding in Texas, districts may eventually adopt it to receive incentives. It is pointed out that there is.
“I think that’s a positive thing for them in the sense that they even have a choice,” said Joshua Blank, research director at the Texas Politics Project. “The reality is that school districts often don’t like the terms that come with that money, but they may decide that the money is more important to them than they dislike the terms that come with that money. ”
Gov. Greg Abbott has said he wants to fully fund public education in Texas, including increasing teacher pay, in the upcoming legislative session, but many public school advocates believe that Abbott hasn’t done so from the beginning. However, it has been criticized for focusing on taxpayer allocation. Funds private education in school choice programs. He also praised the passage of the Bluebonnet curriculum by the SBOE.
Supporters and critics alike have noted the role Christianity plays in Bluebonnet’s curriculum. For example, a fifth-grade lesson on Leonardo da Vinci’s mural “The Last Supper” provides a lengthy context for the story of Jesus’ life, including a direct quote from the Gospel of Matthew.
Third grade study on the Roman Empire explores the life of Jesus, including details of what Christians believe is his crucifixion and resurrection. A first-grade study on the sequencing of events elaborates on the Christian creation story and includes items such as “God created light” and “God created the first man and woman and the Garden of Eden.” and ask students which event happened first.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Brandon Clayton (R-Conroe), asked in an interview with CBS Austin whether Texas could introduce a curriculum that improves student performance without Christian influence. “We can and we do, but we can do it again,” he said in response to a question. You will have a good opportunity to understand references to King Herod and other Biblical figures. It also helps children understand the historical explanations of what is found in the Bible and helps them understand references to other parts of history. curriculum. ”
