The classrooms of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD are poised to add a touch of ancient wisdom with their latest elective course offerings. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, high school students may elect to dive into "Literature and the Bible" and "Western Civilization and the Bible," as per a district announcement relayed through a Community Impact post. These proposed courses take advantage of the allowance provided by Texas Education Code since the 2009-10 school year, facilitating a scholarly exploration of the Bible's cultural and historical heft.
Yet the decision has raised eyebrows in the context of a year pockmarked by debates over Christianity in public education. Adding the Bible to a curriculum that has seen chapters on religious diversity and climate change axed, as reported by the Houston Chronicle, has left some wondering about the timing and intent behind these course introductions. "I have no objection to and take no offense at this elective course… But I find the timing a bit odd," Cy-Fair parent Dave Mahon told the Houston Chronicle, highlighting the district's recent debates involving the incorporation of religion in schools.
Despite some community apprehension, the courses are moving forward pending approval of instructional materials and adequate student interest—between 15 and 18 students must sign up for the classes to be made available. Cy-Fair is not alone in the educational inclusion of biblical studies. A 2011 study conducted by Southern Methodist University religious studies professor Mark Chancey and cited by the Houston Chronicle, discovered that while only a "small percentage" of Texas school districts offer these elective courses, there has been an uptick since the State Board of Education codified them in 2007.
According to the Community Impact, instructors leading these classes must abide by the state and federal guidelines aimed at maintaining religious neutrality. While the law spells out training provisions for educators to teach these courses without bias, "The Bible and its Influence" by Cullen Schippe and Chuck Stetson stands as the recommended textbook. It has been made available for parental review, ensuring transparency ahead of its potential implementation in the classroom.
CFISD's intention behind offering these electives, as Superintendent Douglas Killian underscored and reported by the Houston Chronicle, is to diversify its course offerings, similar to its other existing multicultural studies programs. "This won't be the first or the last one," Killian stated, signaling an ongoing commitment to expanding educational horizons. The true impact of these new classes on the fabric of Cy-Fair schools will reveal itself, perhaps, only after the first bell rings on these Bible-focused courses.
