The Texas Board of Education tentatively approved new curriculum for elementary schools to integrate Bible in daily lessons.

Critics say the curriculum overemphasizes Christianity. The board is expected to officially vote on whether to approve the materials later this week.

Texas education officials voted narrowly to offer preliminary approval on Tuesday for a new curriculum that includes Bible lessons for children starting in kindergarten, part of a growing effort in the state and elsewhere to bring Christian principles to public schools.

The Texas State Board of Education signaled it will approve a controversial set of resources that's received blowback for inclusion of Bible stories.

With the Trump administration promising to champion the conservative Christian movement, the lessons may also offer a playbook for the White House.

The controversy now coming to light is not so much that religion is discussed in public schools, but that the proposed material heavily focuses on Christianity.

The Board heard from more than 150 people about the new proposed curriculum during more than 8 hours of testimony.

The state-developed instructional materials, known as Bluebonnet Learning, have been criticized for improperly bringing Christianity into the classroom.