Texas voters will select eight members of the State Board of Education during the 2024 midterms. These officials are responsible for approving instructional materials and setting the standards for public school curricula across the state.
The 2030-31 rollout of Bible stories in classrooms
The Texas State Board of Education is currently implementing sweeping changes to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the standards that dictate what students learn in every grade. According to the report, the board has already passed significant revisions to social studies for kindergarten through high school and has approved a new required reading list. This list specifically includes biblical narratives, such as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the eight Beatitudes, and the story of Adam and Eve.
These curriculum shifts are not immediate; the report says both the social studies changes and the new reading list will take effect in the 2030-31 school year.. This timeline reflects a broader ideological struggle within Texas education. Supporters of the changes argue they promote American and Texan exceptionalism, while critics contend that the new standards minimize religious, cultural, and racial diversity in the classroom.
How $120,606 from Texans for Educational Freedom shapes the race
Financial influence is playing a major role in the 2024 contest, particularly as conservative political action committees seek to maintain Republican control of the board. The group Texans for Educational Freedom, which focuses on opposing Critical Race Theory, has contributed $120,606 to support its preferred candidates. Additionally, Monty Bennett, the CEO of Ashford real estate and publisher of the Dallas Express, has donated $10,000 to the cause.
These funds are being strategically deployed to keep specific seats "red," with a particular focus on District 2 along the Texas coast, District 6 in the Houston area, and District 9 in North and East Texas.. This financial surge highlights the board's importance as a gatekeeper for instructional materials, making these rgeional races a focal point for national ideological trends regarding school governance.
Thomas Ray Garcia's push for ethnic studies in District 2
In District 2, which encompasses the Rio Grande Valley and several coastal counties including Nueces and Hidalgo, Democrat Thomas Ray Garcia is running for a seat. Garcia, an English professor at South Texas College and director of the College Scholarship Leadership Access Program, is positioning himself as a counterweight to the current board's direction. He is running on a platform that opposes the Bluebonnet curriculum, the state's school voucher program, and the use of STAAR tests for accountability scores.
Garcia is advocating for a fundamental shift in how social studies are credited, arguing that ethnic studies courses should count as core social studies credits rather than electives. As reported, his campaign has garnered endorsements from several labor and advocacy groups, including the Texas AFL-CIO and the Texas American Federation of Teachers, as he faces opponent Victoria Hinojosa.
The battle for Staci Childs' vacated District 4 seat
The 2024 election includes a high-stakes race for District 4, a seat left vacant after former member Staci Childs resigned to pursue a position in the Texas House. The winner of this specific contest will not only hold a seat on the board but will complete the remainder of Childs' term, which extends until 2028. currently, Republicans hold seven of the board's seats, while Democrats hold two, creating a significant power imbalance in how the Texas Education Agency and the commissioner of education develop policy.
While the report provides detailed platforms for candidates in District 2, significant gaps remain regarding the other seven contested seats. The specific names and platforms of candidates running in Districts 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, and 14 are not detailed in the source, leaving voters to rely on ballot look-up tools to identify who is competing to shape the future of Texas classrooms.
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