San Angelo ISD Board Approves Controversial Curriculum in Divided Vote

SAN ANGELO, TX – The San Angelo Independent School District Board of Trustees voted Monday to adopt the Bluebonnet Learning curriculum for K-5 reading and language arts and K-8 mathematics, following an hour-long debate over its alignment with state standards and concerns about religious content.

In a split vote of 4-3, trustees approved Bluebonnet Learning for K-5 reading and language arts (RLA), while K-8 mathematics and Algebra I passed more decisively at 6-1. The decision follows months of scrutiny from board members, educators, and the public.

Trustees Ami Mizell-Flint, Gerard Gallegos, and Lupita Arroyo voted against the RLA portion, while Gallegos solely voted against the math portion. 

Board members and district officials discussed House Bill 1605, which mandates the Instructional Materials Review and Approval process, requiring districts to adopt State Board of Education-approved instructional materials to access additional state funding.

Concerns over religious undertones in Bluebonnet Learning were central to the debate. Trustee Dr. Kyle acknowledged these concerns but argued that rejecting the curriculum solely on that basis would be impractical given limited alternatives.

“There is obvious religious infusion built in there, but it’s not all over,” Mills said. “To outright throw [Bluebonnet] out because of the religious stuff is not in the best interest of children, especially with the lack of other alternatives.”

However, Trustee Gerard Gallegos strongly opposed adoption, citing constitutional concerns.

“To me, they circumvented what we have held true for 200 years. No one can say they didn’t,” Gallegos said. “They want me to cross a line that I said I would never, ever do.”

District officials assured teachers they would not be required to strictly follow scripted lessons, a concern raised by educators.

“No one is saying you must be holding your (script) reading word for word,” said Deputy Superintendent Dr. Farrah Gomez. “You cannot walk in and just pull it out and wing it… You must have internalized the lesson in advance to know what has to be covered.”

Board members also debated the pacing requirements, with Trustee Ami Mizell-Flint questioning whether teachers could expand lessons beyond the provided curriculum.

“Does that mean a teacher cannot supplement to enrich? That is an absolute yes,” Gomez responded. “But you do have to stay within the pacing, and you can’t just scrap materials altogether.”

Board President Dr. Taylor Kingman framed the curriculum adoption as a necessary concession to state control, arguing that rejecting it could put the district at a disadvantage.

“The reality is the state is creating the curriculum, and then they’re going to score us on a test that decides how they’re going to rank us for our community,” Kingman said. “We don’t have to think that’s fair… but that’s the reality of how the state is going to do this.”

Mizell-Flint said she felt obligated to represent community opposition, stating she had received overwhelming feedback against Bluebonnet Learning from parents and teachers.

“I don’t want to be one of those legislators who say, ‘Forget you all, I don’t have to listen to you,’ because I’m here in this seat right now,” she said. “So I’m listening to the people who have reached out to me, and I will be voting against it.”

Following the divided vote, the district will proceed with implementation of Bluebonnet Learning for the upcoming school year. The state’s ordering system closes March 28, meaning districts must place orders before then to receive materials in time for summer training and the fall semester.

Trustee Gallegos said that the debate reflected democracy at work.

“That’s what we’re here for, for you to come tell us, for us to act on it or not act on it. So thank you,” he said.

During public comments, about 20 speakers addressed the San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees, with the majority opposing the adoption of Bluebonnet Learning. Concerns ranged from religious bias and rigid, scripted teaching methods to lack of enrichment for gifted students and inadequate accommodations for special education learners.

A Jewish parent voiced her concerns about Christianity being woven into the secular education of her child.

“Having Christianity infused into my Jewish child’s secular education is upsetting to me for both religious and educational reasons,” she said. “If this curriculum is adopted, it leaves no secular education in San Angelo and negatively impacts students.”

Another parent criticized Bluebonnet Learning’s lesson structure, saying it relies too heavily on long scripted lectures.

“I took time to go through the ELA units, and nearly every lesson asks our children to sit through 40 to 75 minutes of whole-group instruction before even considering taking a break,” she said. “Imagine five-year-olds trying to sit still for that long.”

A published author and former literary agent, raised concerns about the curriculum’s reading selections, calling them outdated and disconnected from modern students.

“If the goal of Bluebonnet Learning is to destroy students’ passion for reading, then it gets an A+ from me,” she said. “Zero texts published within the last 50 years are included in the fifth-grade curriculum. Instead, we’re expecting 10-year-olds to read Don Quixote, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe—complete with daily biblical lessons.”

Another speaker called the state’s push for Bluebonnet Learning “educational bullying,” arguing that Texas districts are being pressured into adopting the curriculum.

“If what was mentioned last time was true—that the STAAR test is being revised to align with Bluebonnet—then we don’t really have a choice,” he said. “We’re being tricked into believing this is a choice when it’s not. That’s the very definition of coercion.”

A longtime SAISD educator highlighted the lack of accommodations for special education students.

“Nowhere in this curriculum are modifications for special education students,” the speaker said. “There are no enrichment opportunities for GT kids either. What happens to students who need alternate assignments, small group instruction, or additional time? Those modifications simply don’t exist here.”

The only speaker in favor of Bluebonnet Learning spoke over the financial benefits of adopting the state-developed curriculum and traditional learning methods. 

“Bluebonnet is free,” the speaker said. “The current curriculum costs the district around $200,000 a year, while Bluebonnet costs nothing. Even private schools in Texas have access to it.”

Trustee Gerard Gallegos later echoed the concerns raised by many speakers, saying the district was being forced into a decision.

“To me, they’re not giving us a choice. They really aren’t,” Gallegos said. “They want me to cross a line that I said I would never, ever do.”