Final Day For Bids On Oklahoma’s Bible-in-Classrooms Arrives Amid Lawsuit And Controversy
Ch. 6 - October 21, 2024 7:33 am
The Bible is displayed on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, at the Bixby High School library in Bixby, Okla. (AP Photo/Joey Johnson)
After the Oklahoma State Department of Education mandated the teaching of the Bible in a historical context in classrooms across the state, Monday will be the final day companies can submit a bid to supply the religious text and accompanying documents.
The Oklahoma State Board of Education agreed in September to the budget request of $3 million for Bibles, and bidding opened on Sept. 30.
That initial bid said the Bible must include other historical documents, such as the United States Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
However, only two Bibles, both having been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and costing $60 and $90 each, were the only ones to meet all the criteria.
Walters said the bid was not targeting any specific Bible, and several days later, the Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services and the OSDE altered the bid for Bibles, saying the additional documents could be provided as separate documents.
OMES also said they were extending the bidding window by a week, with the final day for bidding set for Monday, Oct. 21.
OSDE’s budget request still has to be approved by lawmakers in the upcoming session.
Last week, nearly 30 people filed a lawsuit against the OSDE’s Bible teaching mandate.
RELATED: Parents, Teachers, Clergy Suing To Halt Bible Mandate In Oklahoma Classrooms
The State Board of Education is scheduled for its monthly meeting on Thursday.
