Worthington Schools to Weigh Current Policy Allowing LifeWise

The headlines in this story have been updated.

A Worthington schools board committee will meet Friday to discuss an existing policy that allows groups like LifeWise to teach the Bible to students during the school day.

According to a meeting notice, the Worthington school board’s policy committee will meet Friday afternoon to discuss the district’s religious release time policy, though it’s unclear what action or discussion the committee may take on the existing policy . The meeting notice says the committee may “discuss, review and/or consider changes to board policy.”

A district spokesman confirmed the committee plans to discuss the policy, but a board representative was not available for further comment.

The largest user of the state’s religious release policies is Hilliard-based LifeWise, which provides public school students with Bible education during school hours. The program transports students off school property, is privately funded and allowed to parents, often during an optional class period.

Worthington’s discussion comes just a month after the Westerville City Schools board voted to repeal his religious exemption time policy, which was preceded by hours of meetings of concerned community members on both sides of the issue who spoke during public comment.

The Worthington Schools board meeting will be held at 2 p.m. at the Worthington Education Center at 200 E. Wilson Bridge Road.

What is religious release time?

In the United States, school districts may offer the option to release time for religious instruction, in accordance with the 1948 US Supreme Court case, McCollum v. Board of Education, and the 1952 decision, Zorach v. Clauson, Dispatch previously reported.

While districts are not required to have policies allowing religious exemption, some state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would change state law to require districts to adopt a policy to allow religious exemption, Dispatch previously reported.

The discussion of Westerville’s religious exemption policy caused controversy

In early October, the Westerville City Schools board voted unanimously, with one abstention, to eliminate the policy, with the board president stressing that the decision was not against any religion, but citing the potential for significant disruption to the district if other liberation organizations religious enter the district.

The vote came after more than two hours of public comments from speakers in support or opposition, and followed several packed meetings and public testimony. Throughout the discussions, LifeWise advocates wore red, while many in the opposition wore black, and the comments were met with applause from them.

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