Conroe ISD has approved a controversial new curriculum that implements biblical references into reading and language arts lessons for elementary school students.
The Bible-infused Bluebonnet Learning curriculum was approved in November by the Texas State Board of Education. Schools in the state are not required to use the curriculum, but there are financial incentives for those that do.
During Tuesday’s school board meeting, where trustees for the Houston-area district voted to implement the lessons for the 2025-26 school year, a handful of public speakers expressed opposition. Alexander Harris said biblical additions in elementary school curriculum would bring complications.
“Introducing the Bible in the curriculum in today’s environment will only give rise to contention, confusion, to misinterpretation, and tomorrow Hindus will want the Gita, Muslims will want the Quran, and we will have more confusion,” said Harris, referring to other religious texts.
In early January, Houston Public Media asked school districts across the region whether they planned to implement the Bible-infused curriculum. Only Bay City ISD said it had decided to do so, depending on whether it could secure grant funding, while many said they were not considering it. Some local districts, including Conroe ISD, did not respond to emailed inquiries.
During Conroe ISD’s special meeting about the new curriculum later in January, State Board of Education member Audrey Young said it was written to support literature and not to teach religion.
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On Tuesday, five members of Conroe ISD’s board of trustees voted in favor of the new curriculum and two abstained. Board member Nicole May said she’s in favor of the new curriculum because of its focus on the state.
“Bluebonnet has a strong component of American exceptionalism that is woven throughout the curriculum,” she said. “Further, this curriculum also lays out why Texas is special. For example, grade four, unit nine, innovation in industry and energy starts with a story of oil and ends with why Houston makes a change.”
Those who abstained said they were not against the curriculum, but shared concerns about implementing it too soon. Trustee Marianne Horton said she was interested in hearing from the district’s teachers about the curriculum.
“When you take the time to listen to teachers … just to hear them flesh it out, what would it look like in their classroom? Could we try it first?” she said. “I’d hate to adopt a program and then be the reason that students are failing.”
Board members said around six or seven schools would likely be able to see an implementation of the new curriculum next year. Board President Misty Odenweller said it would take more than one year to implement the curriculum across the district.
“We would need to have our teaching and learning department and others work with the (Texas Education Agency) on this implementation and the planning of how it would roll out,” Odenweller said. “So it wouldn’t be a district-wide rollout.”
Houston Public Media’s Adam Zuvanich contributed to this report.