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Ryan Walters says more than 500 Bibles purchased for Oklahoma public schools
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Ryan Walters says more than 500 Bibles purchased for Oklahoma public schools

Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters said Thursday that more than 500 Bibles have been purchased for Oklahoma public school classrooms.

The announcement – ​​which does not provide specific details about how the Bibles were purchased or how much the books cost – is the latest in a series flurry of moves by Walters as he strives to raise his national profile.

Republican President-elect Donald Trump is quickly filling out his new Cabinet, and Walters’ name has been mentioned by some national media outlets as a potential choice for secretary or education adviser. Both Trump and Walters have called for abolishing the U.S. Department of Education.

More: Ryan Walters targets immigration, predicts end of US DOE in memo

In a news release, Walters said the Bibles will be used in government Advanced Placement classes across the state. He said the move represented “the first purchase of Bibles in the country explicitly intended for use in schools as an academic and literary resource”, and described the purchase as “the first step towards providing Bibles for every classroom of the State”.

The purchase was separate from an earlier request for proposal issued by the Oklahoma Department of Education for 55,000 Bibles. The request was initially tailored to specific requirements that few versions of the Bible seemed to meet. One exception was the Trump-endorsed “God Bless America” Bible.

The application was later withdrawn after facing criticism, but the agency said Thursday it planned to reissue a modified version soon.

“We are working to ensure Bibles are available in every classroom in our state as quickly as possible,” Walters said in a news release.

Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks at a GOP watch party on election night, hours before Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump was declared the winner of the presidential race.Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks at a GOP watch party on election night, hours before Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump was declared the winner of the presidential race.

Public Schools Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks at a GOP watch party on election night, hours before Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump was declared the winner of the presidential race.

Dan Isett, a spokesman for Walters and the Oklahoma Department of Education, said in a text message that the total cost of the Bibles was $25,000, but provided no other details in the message.

Walters also announced the purchase in a video posted to social media. “Today we purchased over 500 Bibles that will be in AP Government classrooms across the state,” he said.

Then he showed a copy of a Bible as an example of the type purchased for classrooms. The Bible appears to be the Trump-backed “God Bless the USA” edition, which features a distinctive brown faux leather cover with an embossed American flag. Bibles are sold exclusively online, starting at $60 each.

“We have the Bible, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights – these are founding documents in our nation’s history,” he said. Each of these documents is also reprinted in the “God Bless the USA” Bible.

As Walters held up the Bible, a coffee cup bearing a Latin phrase that translates to “If you want peace, prepare for war” sat to his right.

Lee Greenwood "God bless the United States" Bible. Monday October 28, 2024.Lee Greenwood "God bless the United States" Bible. Monday October 28, 2024.

Bible “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood. Monday October 28, 2024.

The push to put the Bible in schools follows Walters’ mandate that the book be made available in every classroom. Walters repeatedly touted the legally challenged mandate in national media appearances in the days after Trump’s election.

He has also made several appearances to discuss his support for Trump’s education agenda.

Over the course of eight hours on Thursday, Walters shared four clips from recent national media appearances on his X account, tagging the president-elect in three of the posts. “@realDonaldTrump delivered the boldest and most aggressive education agenda in our nation’s history,” Walters captioned one of the clips.

Walters recorded this NewsNation interview, along with several other television and online appearances, from what appeared to be his state office.

He also has issued a five-point note detailing his plans for Oklahoma schools during Trump’s presidency and said he plans to form a committee implement Trump’s agenda in the state.

On Tuesday, he announced he also plans to open a state education office charged with ensuring religious freedom and patriotism in schools.

He approved spending up to $6 million in state funds to distribute Bibles to classrooms across the state.

More: Ryan Walters Downplays Urgency of Biblical Warrant Lawsuit Filed in State Supreme Court

Her efforts were rebuffed by civil rights groupstaxpayers, parents and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore.

McBride, who is the outgoing chairman of the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee, told The Oklahoman last week that he believed Walters’ initial plans to implement Trump’s agenda in Oklahoma were an effort to get the president-elect’s attention.

“I find it funny that not even 48 hours after Trump was elected, Walters is already talking about what the Trump administration is going to do,” McBride said. “Personally, I will wait until the adults in the room, that is, President Trump and his team, decide before I get excited.”

Staff writer Murray Evans contributed.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

This article was originally published on Oklahoman: Ryan Walters says more than 500 Bibles purchased for Oklahoma schools