(July 21, 2008)—The State Board of Education gave the green light for elective Bible courses to be offered Texas high schools Friday, but administrators in some school districts in Central Texas say don't expect those courses to show up in the classroom come August.
One reason is the guidelines approved are vague, with school districts left to figure out and design their own courses.
This leaves schools in the area choosing to take a wait and see approach, in hopes of avoiding any constitutional conflicts.
The 2007 Legislature passed a law allowing Bible courses to be offered as an elective, focused on the history and literature of the Bible, without preaching or disparaging any faith.
Only 50 high schools across the state currently offer a Bible-based course.
Belton High School has offered one as an English elective for the past five years.
Using the Bible as a textbook, the course combines literature with history and geography to enhance reading, writing and research skills, which is one model other school districts may look to when creating their own.
"So that if and when, we implement it here, we can learn from what they're going and we can borrow some of they're good practices," Temple ISD spokesperson Regina Baird said.
The problem is, the newly adopted guidelines aren't exactly concrete, leaving schools to choose and design their own Bible curriculum.
Attorney General Greg Abbott says the standards look to be in-line with the first amendment, but his office can't guarantee the courses taught in high schools will be constitutional because they haven't been reviewed, which is one reason many districts are taking a wait and see approach.
"We do not want to create a Bible class that either promotes the religious views of teachers or students or disparages those views,” Copperas Cove Deputy Superintendent Bobby Ott said.
“And we do not want to be deemed unconstitutional."
Plus, with the upcoming year, right around the corner, there is simply not enough time to design a whole new course, before the doors open in August.
"We're not going to try and add it this year because our course catalog has already been printed and it's already been distributed to students,” Baird said.
“It's already online, but it is something we're watching as a potential for this next school year."
The Texas House Public Education Committee did urge the Board of Education to approve specific guidelines, but because it didn't, the door to constitutional violations and lawsuits may be wide open, if school districts aren't careful how they design their bible courses.
Texas Education Agency
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