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OSDE buys 500+ Bibles for AP Government classrooms

KJRH

By: Jennifer Maupin

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OKLAHOMA CITY — After abruptly canceling a Request for Proposal for the purchase of Bibles last week, Oklahoma's State Superintendent announced he purchased more than 500 Bibles for AP Government classes.

2 News asked OSDE where the Bibles were purchased from and how much they cost. We are waiting to hear back.

This is the statement OSDE put out announcing the purchase:

State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced the purchase of more than 500 Bibles for use in Advanced Placement (AP) Government classrooms today. This purchase is the first in the nation Bible purchase explicitly for use in schools as an academic and literary resource and is the first step toward providing Bibles for every classroom in the state.

“We are focused on ensuring we get Bibles available in every classroom in our state as quickly as we can,” said Walters. “I will take every step possible to ensure Oklahoma students have the resources they need to fully understand American history. By acting now, Oklahoma is leading the country on a path toward greater focus on academic excellence by providing critical historical, cultural, and literary context for our students. We are not going to change our history, and the Bible is a major part of that.”

This purchase is separate from a larger purchase detailed in a forthcoming Request for Proposal (RFP) from OSDE that will provide Bibles as well as the Pledge of Allegiance, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution for every classroom in Oklahoma.

On June 27, State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced a memorandum that would require all Oklahoma public schools to incorporate the Bible as instruction support for grades 5-12 in a state board of education meeting.

In this memorandum, it states that "adherence to this mandate is compulsory... Immediate and strict compliance is expected."

On July 24, Walters issued an additional memorandum requiring schools to have physical copies of the Bible and Ten Commandments for each teacher in every classroom.

Walters is currently facing a lawsuit from 32 Oklahomans about the plan.