NEWS

Texas to Have First State-Mandated Reading List for K-12 Public Schools

Red River Radio | By Jeff Ferrell,

Published November 28, 2025 at 1:27 PM CST

The Texas Education Agency has compiled an initial list of about 400 books, poems, and other texts after surveying teachers and cross referencing the texts with state standards. The state could introduce the required reading for every grade as early as 2027.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is working on a list of literary works that public schools across the state will be required to teach. As Texas Public Radio (TPR) reports, this initiative was discussed during the Tuesday, November 18, 2025 meeting of the State Board of Education (SBOE) in Austin, Texas. The board is comprised of 10 Republicans and five Democrats.
Two years ago, during the 2023 Texas Legislative Session [also known as the 88^th Texas Legislature], lawmakers approved the comprehensive law, House Bill (HB) 1605, the “Instructional Materials Bill.” One measure in the law says the SBOE will adopt the required reading list, which stipulates it must contain at least one literary work per grade level.

Texas' state-mandated reading list [under development] will be a big transition from the previous primary strategy of the banning of books. Texas ranks second in the nation with 1,738 banned book overall in recent years, second only to Florida’s 2,304. That's according to the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization Pen America. Even shorter-term measures reveal the same pattern of book bans as well, as can be seen in the graphic (above) in the past year.

The TEA has compiled an initial list of about 400 books, poems, and other texts after surveying teachers and cross referencing the texts with state standards. The state could introduce the required reading for every grade as early as 2027.
Deputy Commissioner Shannon Trejo began, “Night is probably one of the most popular texts in the grades six through 12, Fahrenheit 451, Romeo and Juliet. Many of these are probably not a big surprise.”
The Education Commissioners’ narrowed-down list of recommendations will be presented for first approval in January. Final approval is slated for April. When the list is completed and enacted, Texas would become the first to create a state-mandated reading list.
The state-mandated reading list is a big transition from the previous strategy of book banning controversial material. Texas ranks second in the nation with 1,738 banned book, second only to Florida’s 2,304, according to the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization Pen America.