Deer Creek, Yukon latest to refuse Ryan Walters' order to add Bible to curriculum

Two more large Oklahoma school districts, Deer Creek and Yukon, have joined a growing number that have declined to change their curriculum despite state schools Superintendent Ryan Walters' directive that the Bible be taught in every classroom .

Those two districts have joined at least four others — Norman Public Schools, Moore Public Schools, Stillwater Public Schools and Bixby Public Schools — in lining up against Walters' directive.

The Oklahoma attorney general’s office has said state law already allows for the Bible to be taught in classrooms, but doing so is a district-by-district decision. Based on comments to media and letters sent to patrons, most of the six districts have leaned on that principle of local control in making their respective decisions concerning curriculum.

“It is already established both in Oklahoma state statute, as well as in Deer Creek School District board policy, that teachers have the flexibility to use religious literature to support the state-approved curriculum as long as it is appropriate,” Deer Creek Superintendent Jason Perez said. “There is not an expectation that teachers in Deer Creek will be teaching directly from the Bible in the foreseeable future.”

The Center for Education Law also has issued a memorandum to Oklahoma school districts calling Walters’ mandate invalid under state law . That legal firm earlier this year successfully represented Edmond Public Schools in that district’s lawsuit against Walters and the Oklahoma State Board of Education. Responding to that lawsuit, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled the content of school libraries was a decision to be made by a local school board, not the state board.

On June 27, the day of the most recent State Board of Education meeting, Walters, a Republican, sent his directive to Oklahoma school districts, ordering them to incorporate the Bible “as an instructional support into the curriculum" for fifth through 12th grades, citing its importance as a historical document.

“Adherence to this mandate is compulsory,” Walters’ letter read. “Further instructions for monitoring and reporting on this implementation for the 2024/25 school year will be forthcoming. Immediate and strict compliance is expected."

With start of school looming, state agency has yet to provide any guidance to school districts concerning Walters' directive

However, with school resuming in less than a month in nearly all of the more than 500 districts across the state, Walters’ agency, the Oklahoma State Department of Education, has yet to provide any guidance as to how districts should incorporate the directive into their curriculums. The Oklahoman asked agency spokesman Dan Isett when that guidance might be provided, as well as for the agency’s reaction to Yukon and Deer Creek joining their four counterparts.

Isett didn't answer the first question, and the rest of his response dealt not with Walters' Bible directive and questions surrounding its legal validity, but with a separate initiative announced by Walters concerning state social studies standards, which are scheduled by law to be updated in 2025. For that project, Walters has appointed an "executive review committee" full of representatives from out-of-state conservative organizations, but including no Oklahoma public-school administrators or teachers, to oversee that process.

"Oklahoma law gives the State Board of Education clear authority to set academic standards," Isett said. "As they are adopted and implemented, every Oklahoma district must teach to the academic standards adopted through the process outlined in state law. Every Oklahoma student will receive instruction in the Bible in its proper historical and cultural context.  Some districts may not like it, but they will comply."

In a statement provided to The Oklahoman, the Yukon district said it “will continue to support our adopted curriculum which adheres to the Oklahoma State Academic Standards (OSAS),” approved by the Oklahoma Legislature. “As a district, we are committed to following our district approved curriculum. Schools are able to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of religion’s role in human history and culture while respecting the beliefs in our community.”

The Yukon statement provided examples of how that already can be done in history, literature, comparative religion and philosophy classes.

“We trust our teachers to use the curriculum as it’s intended to help our students achieve,” Yukon Superintendent Jason Simeroth said.

Bixby Superintendent Rob Miller told patrons in a letter that district “agrees with Mr. Walters on the importance of studying the role of religion in historical and cultural contexts. However, we also maintain that teaching any specific religious doctrine or ideology is not part of the current state standards. Therefore, we affirm our decision to keep our current BPS curriculum unchanged, providing continuity and stability for our students and staff.”

Miller also noted Walters, at a public meeting, “ recently stated he would welcome lawsuits against his mandate requiring Bibles in schools and hopes those lawsuits would lead to the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning previous rulings on the separation of church and state. His statement seems to be a tacit acknowledgment that this directive may not pass constitutional muster based on current statutes and legal precedent and may require a future review by the Supreme Court.”

NonDoc first reported the decisions of the Yukon and Deer Creek school districts, while the Tulsa World reported on Bixby’s decision and The Norman Transcript first reported Norman’s decision.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Deer Creek, Yukon latest to refuse Ryan Walters' order to add Bible to curriculum