Asked to weigh in on the mandate at the time, the attorney general’s office said Oklahoma law already allows Bibles in the classroom and enables teachers to use them in instruction. The office said it did not read Walters’ memo to school districts as requiring the Bible to be taught.

Oklahoma law leaves determining “instruction, curriculum, reading lists and instructional materials and textbooks” up to the exclusive purview of school districts.

On July 24, the superintendent’s office released guidelines for his directive. It says the guidelines, a physical copy of the Bible, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Ten Commandments “must be provided to every teacher… as resources in every classroom in the school district.” It lists how teaching about the Bible can fit under certain Oklahoma Social Studies academic standards.

Below is a list of school districts that have released public statements regarding whether they would be changing their current practices on teaching the Bible. This list will be updated.

Sand Springs Public Schools

In a July 25 email to parents, Sand Springs said it will continue to adhere to the current Oklahoma academic standards and use its previously approved curriculum.

Piedmont Public Schools

Superintendent Drew Eichelberger wrote in a letter, published in part on July 25 in the Piedmont-Surrey Gazette, students will continue to be allowed to bring their own religious texts to school. He said while students learn about religion’s role in history and culture, in line with current academic standards, “teaching any specific religious doctrine or practice is not a part of the current standards.”

Broken Arrow Public Schools

A statement published in part in the Tulsa World on July 24 said the district has reviewed all information received and met with “internal instructional experts” before concluding that Broken Arrow is compliant with the current academic standards.

“For the ‘24-’25 school year, we will continue to use our current curriculum and approved resources,” the statement read.

Collinsville Public Schools

Collinsville released a statement to the Tulsa World, which published it in part on July 24, saying, “We remain optimistic about continuing to follow the Oklahoma Academic Standards and utilizing the locally approved and vetted curriculum.”

Owasso Public Schools

In a letter to parents published on the district website, Owasso Superintendent Margaret Coates says Oklahoma law is clear that curriculum and instructional materials are “a matter of local control,” and the state department may recommend, but not mandate, certain curriculum. She said the district will continue to adhere to the curriculum previously adopted by the district.

“As a public school system, it is crucial that we maintain neutrality and objectivity in our curriculum and instructional practices,” Coates wrote.

Tulsa Public Schools

In a statement to the Tulsa World published in part on July 24, Tulsa said it would continue with its planned course of instruction and curriculum.

“State law vests the State Board of Education with sole authority to specify the content of subject matter standards,” the statement reads. “Just as it vests districts with the exclusive authority to determine the instruction, curriculum, reading lists, textbooks and other instructional materials for use in the district’s schools.”

Jenks Public Schools

Jenks published a statement on the district’s website, saying it will continue to use its current curriculum and has no plans to change. District policy says it is “permissible and desirable to teach objectively and accurately” about the role of religion in history, in alignment with the state’s academic standards.

Deer Creek Public Schools

In an interview with nonprofit news outlet NonDoc published July 22, Deer Creek Superintendent Jason Perez said state statute gives districts control over curriculum, and instructional materials are “the individual district’s prerogative.”

Yukon Public Schools

In an interview with NonDoc published July 22, Yukon Superintendent Jason Simeroth said he did not expect the district to make any changes in curriculum. He referenced a recent Oklahoma Supreme Court case in which the high court sided with Edmond Public Schools over the Walters administration’s attempt to remove books from the school libraries.

“One of the things that you’ve seen over the last few months is the courts have supported the local board decisions on what textbooks or novels or anything like that goes into school districts, and so that’s what we’re going to continue to do,” Simeroth said in the interview.

Bixby Public Schools

In a statement posted on its website, Superintendent Rob Miller said the district is “fully aligned with the state-approved social studies curriculum in the current Oklahoma State Academic Standards.” He notes Walters, who was a history teacher at the time, was on the executive committee that helped draft the standards and endorsed them when they were adopted.

He said Bixby will keep its curriculum unchanged, and noted Walters’ comments that he would welcome lawsuits against the Bible directive, hoping those suits would lead to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning previous precedent regarding the separation of church and state.

“His statement seems to be a tacit acknowledgment that this directive may not pass constitutional muster baed on current statutes and legal precedent and may require a future review by the Supreme Court,” Miller said in the statement. “As a result, Bixby Schools will continue to comply with existing case law to ensure that the rights of our students and employees are fully protected.”

Stillwater Public Schools

Stillwater Superintendent Uwe Gordon said in a district statement, published on its website on July 26, the Oklahoma Academic Standards are clear, and Walters does not have legal authority to decide the content of district curriculum. He said Stillwater will “not be purchasing class copies of, nor delivering lessons from Bible or any other religious text.”

Gordon also lists the religious activities that students are permitted to engage in at school to dispel “false claims that religion is forbidden in school.”

Moore Public Schools

In a July 18 letter to parents, Moore Superintendent Robert Romines said the district will continue adhering to current Oklahoma academic standards.

“It is important to clarify that while students learn about religion’s role in historical and cultural contexts, teaching any specific religious doctrine or practice is not part of the current standards,” Romines wrote.

Norman Public Schools

In an interview with the Norman Transcript published July 11, Norman Superintendent Nick Migliorino said the district will not be using Bibles in classrooms, nor will it require teachers to teach from the Bible.

“We’re gonna follow the law, we’re going to provide a great opportunity for our students, we’re going to do right be our students and right by our teachers, and we’re not going to have Bibles in our classrooms,” Migliorino said in the interview.