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

State schools Superintendent Ryan Walters said Thursday that more than 500 Bibles had been purchased for Oklahoma public school classrooms.

The announcement — which did not say whether the state or a private donor had bought the Bibles, disclose how much the books cost or specify when they would arrive in classrooms — is the latest in a flurry of moves by Walters as he works to elevate his national profile.

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

More: Ryan Walters targets immigration, plans for the end of the US DOE in memo

Walters said the Bibles would be used in Advanced Placement government classrooms across the state. He said the move represented “the first in the nation Bible purchase explicitly for use in schools as an academic and literary resource,” and described the purchase as “the first step toward providing Bibles for every classroom in the state.”

The purchase was separate from a prior request for proposal issued by the Oklahoma Department of Education for 55,000 Bibles. That request was withdrawn after coming under criticism but the agency said Thursday it expects to re-issue a modified version soon.

“We are focused on ensuring we get Bibles available in every classroom in our state as quickly as we can,” Walters said in a news release.

Dan Isett, a spokesman for Walters and the Oklahoma Department of Education, did not immediately respond to questions about how the Bibles were purchased or obtained. He also did not provide documentation for the claim that the development represented a ‘“first in the nation Bible purchase” for public schools.

The push to put Bibles in schools follows Walters’ mandate requiring the book to be made available in all classrooms. Walters has repeatedly touted the legally-challenged mandate in national media appearances in the days since Trump’s election.

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

During an eight-hour span 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 has outlined the boldest, most aggressive education agenda in the history of our nation,” Walters captioned one of the clips.

Walters recorded that NewsNation interview, along with several other TV and online appearances, from what appeared his state office.

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

On Tuesday, he announced that he also planned to open a state education office dedicated to ensuring religious freedom and patriotism in schools.

He has endorsed spending as much as $6 million in taxpayer funds to distribute Bibles to classrooms statewide.

More: Ryan Walters downplays urgency of Bible mandate lawsuit filed with state Supreme Court

His efforts have faced pushback from civil rights groups, taxpayers, parents and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore.

McBride, who is the outgoing chair of the House of Representatives appropriations subcommittee on education, told The Oklahoman last week that he believed Walters’ initial plans to implement Trump’s agenda in Oklahoma were an effort to seek attention from the president-elect.

“I find it amusing, that not even 48 hours after Trump’s election, 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 article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ryan Walters says more than 500 Bibles were purchased for Oklahoma schools

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