Relating to elective social studies courses emphasizing religious scripture that school districts may offer and teach

This bill directs the state board of education to adopt rules establishing course standards for elective social studies courses on the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old or New Testament of the Bible. The bill authorizes a school district to offer and teach such a course to students in grades through if the district’s school improvement advisory committee recommends, and the board of directors of the school district approves, the course. The purpose of the course must be to provide students with knowledge of biblical content, characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture, and to familiarize students with the contents, history, literary style and structure, and influence of the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old or New Testament of the Bible. The state board’s rules must include practitioner preparation and professional development requirements for practitioners employed by a school district to teach such a course. Under the bill, the state board and school districts are prohibited from violating any provision of law in complying with the provisions of the bill. A course offered under the bill is subject to federal and state guidelines regarding religious neutrality, and shall recognize and accommodate the diverse religious views, traditions, and the perspectives of students enrolled in the school district. Such a course shall not endorse, favor, promote, or disfavor, or be hostile toward, any particular religion, faith, or nonreligious perspective. If a school improvement advisory committee recommends such a course, the school board must consider the recommendation. To offer and teach such a course, the school board must approve the recommendation by majority vote of its membership. A student enrolled in such a course shall not be required to use a specific translation as the sole text for the Hebrew Scriptures or the Old or New Testament of the Bible. A school improvement advisory committee or the principal of a school offering such a course may authorize the display of historic artifacts, monuments, symbols, and texts, including religious materials, in conjunction with the course if such display is appropriate to the overall educational purpose of the course and does not require a child to read religious books contrary to the wishes of the child’s parent or guardian. Under current law, religious text books such as the Bible, the Torah, and the Koran shall not be excluded from any public school.