Texas education officials approve Bible-based lessons for K-5 schools

The Texas state school board on Friday approved an optional elementary school curriculum that includes Bible-based lessons that critics have said inappropriately promote Christian beliefs in public classrooms.

In its final vote Friday, the board decided in an 8-7 vote to approve the curriculum. The materials were created this year by the Texas Education Agency after a new law required the department to make a statewide curriculum for school districts to use after approval from the education board.