Families of fourth graders attending New Philadelphia’s West Elementary may soon have the option to enroll them in a released-time biblical education program.
Brian proctor is heading up a committee raising funds to provide voluntary, weekly religious instruction during school hours at the church of the brethren.
He and others involved with the effort attended a recent school board work session to share their vision and answer questions.
“With my kids i labored to parent my children. I don’t think every parent does that and because of that some parents are at a deficit at establishing and developing moral character.”
The program at west would be in partnership with Lifewise Academy, a Columbus-area nonprofit that has been providing free bible education under Ohio’s release time education law since 2018.
Board member Jennifer Schrock thinks the background checks should be as rigorous as the ones for in-school helpers. Lifewise typically relies on a third party, a practice that has resulted in some past oversights.
“They missed that one of their directors lost her teaching license because she was having an inappropriate relationship with students. They also missed that one of their instructors had been charged and convicted of child endangerment, and most recently one of the directors was involved in the cover-up of a rape.”
Proctor doesn’t think stronger background checks will be a problem.
Superintendent Amy Wentworth believes the board’s hands are tied because of a 2011 district policy allowing students to be released from school for religious instruction.
“Provided the students’ parents or guardians submit a written request to the principal. Private entity, in this case Lifewise, providing instruction, maintains attendance records and makes them available to the district, and the student is not absent from core curriculum subject courses.”
Proctor says the next step will be to hire a director to oversee the program, which they hope to implement sometime in 2025.
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