Public schools; electives on the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament and the New Testament.

Public schools; electives on the Hebrew Scriptures/OldTestament and the New Testament. Requires local school boardsto offer as an elective in grades nine through 12 with appropriatecredits toward graduation a course, either in a traditional classroomsetting or in a virtual classroom setting, on the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament of the Bible or the New Testament of the Bible or a combinedcourse on both. The bill requires the Board of Education to developStandards of Learning and curriculum guidelines for such courses.The bill provides that the purpose of such courses is to introducestudents to biblical content, characters, poetry, and narrativesthat are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society andculture, including literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and publicpolicy. The bill prohibits students from being required to use a specific translation of a religious text when taking the coursesand provides that such courses shall maintain religious neutralityand shall not endorse, favor, promote, disfavor, or show hostility toward any particular religion or nonreligious perspective.