The Oklahoma Department of Education is in the process of searching for vendors to provide supplemental materials featuring Bible-based character lessons for elementary students. This move comes as the department’s previous attempt to purchase Bibles for classrooms remains tied up in court.
According to the request for proposals (RFP) released on Friday, the state is seeking age-appropriate materials that illustrate the influence of biblical figures on the United States. The materials must also highlight key virtues, important historical events, and notable figures in Oklahoma’s history. However, the RFP does not specify the number of copies needed, only stating that vendors must be able to deliver directly to the school districts.
This new request may face legal challenges, similar to the department’s previous effort to buy Bibles. Critics argue that public funds should not be used for religious purposes, as stated in the state constitution.
“This RFP seems to be another constitutional violation,” said Alex Luchenitser, an attorney with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, who represents Oklahomans in the Bible lawsuit. “It seeks to insert the Bible into public school curricula, focusing solely on Christianity while excluding other religious texts.”
The Department of Education wants the character materials to align with the state’s newly proposed social studies standards, which contain over 40 references to the Bible and Christianity, a significant increase from the two references in the current version. However, these proposed standards have yet to be approved.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters plans to present the new standards to the Board of Education at its upcoming meeting on Thursday. This meeting will be the first since Governor Kevin Stitt appointed three new board members. If the board approves the standards, they will be sent to the Legislature for further consideration.
The standards committee includes several prominent conservative figures, including Dennis Prager of PragerU, David Barton of the Christian Nationalist group Wallbuilders, and Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation.
While the state sets the standards for education, individual school districts are responsible for choosing their own curriculum and textbooks.
In November, the state canceled its previous attempt to purchase 55,000 King James Bibles after receiving criticism for appearing to favor an expensive version endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Walters has since vowed to issue a new request for proposals. However, a coalition of parents, teachers, students, and faith leaders has asked the Oklahoma State Supreme Court to block the purchase and Walters’ mandate to include Bible teachings in the curriculum.
The state’s Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES), which oversees the purchasing process, has also requested a delay. OMES has asked the court to hold off on the new Bible RFP until the ongoing lawsuit is resolved, as two OMES employees are named in the case.
