Oklahoma schools chief dedicates millions to put ‘a Bible in every school’
State schools superintendent Ryan Walters says the Bible is a core 'historical document' fundamental to instruction
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Oklahoma’s top elected education official said Thursday he is very close to his goal of placing a Bible in "every school" in the Sooner State to both combat "woke" curricula in today’s textbooks and ensure students have access to an incredible "historical document."
In a phone interview with Fox News Digital, Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said that America’s founders called upon the Bible when organizing the Republic, and therefore it is key that today’s generation understand the texts from which the country they live in came from.
Walters said exclusively that his department has now allocated $3 million of its budget to the endeavor and announced that he will be asking for an additional $3 million in an upcoming legislative appropriation to the Republican-majority legislature to meet his goal.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"There were several mechanisms that could have been used here," he said. "Districts could have used the money already allocated for it. They could have used their textbook funds. But what we're doing is we, as the state Department of Education, we're saying we're going to purchase the Bible for every classroom with $3 million."
Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said he is close to realizing a funding goal that could put a Bible in every state public school classroom. (Getty Images)
"That is what will be a new announcement today: We are actually going to purchase them, deliver them to the schools. And then number two, we're going to be asking for $3 million moving forward to continue to supply the schools with Bibles moving forward."
Asked about any pushback from legislators or constituents, Walters said that on the whole, parents are excited to see the Bible back in schools, so that their kids are "going to have an understanding of the role the Bible played in American history."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He noted that, decades ago, Bibles in non-parochial schools were the norm. However, while speaking with Fox News Digital, Walters noted that a faint din of protesters could be heard outside his window.
Walters tells Fox News Digital that his aim is for Oklahoma students to "have an understanding of the role the Bible played in American history." (iStock)
"We saw the Supreme Court being weaponized against the Bible in the classroom and prayer in school back in the 1960s. And again, with the help of the teachers' union, they were able to drive it out of our schools," he added.
A directive from Walters in June had said that school districts will be required to incorporate the Bible in their curriculum, but Thursday’s announcement was notable in that his office now has, and will continue to secure, the funding so that the state can provide the text directly.
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Former President Trump has spoken out against "wokeness," including in schools, and has also spoken about the importance of the Founding Fathers and what they called upon to build the country.
Walters said, he is taking those ideas and running with them.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I think you're going to see that there's a trend moving forward that other states are going to follow Oklahoma's example," he said.