Off-site Bible instruction a recipe for disruption in Ohio's schools

Published as an op-ed in the Cincinnati Enquire on Sunday, Dec 1st 2024

In school districts throughout Ohio, school board meetings have been wrestling with policies regarding release time for religious instruction, as reported in Westerville, OH, and Grove City, OH. The program in question is LifeWise Academy, a Christian organization that works with public schools to integrate a Bible class into their weekly class schedule.

According to their website, their programming serves tens of thousands of public school students every week, and every school district in Franklin County, Ohio, has some level of affiliation. As a public school board member, I have several concerns about this program and the Ohio House and Ohio Senate legislation currently under consideration at the Statehouse that would make it easier for the programming to make its way into Greater Cincinnati public schools.   

Ohio House Bill 445 (HB445) and its counterpart, Senate Bill 293 (SB293), have the potential to disrupt our public schools' essential focus on inclusivity, secular education, and safety. This legislation would open the door to increased ideological influence in our schools, which I believe risks blurring the necessary boundaries between church and state.

First, I want to address a troubling precedent this legislation could establish. I am in strong opposition to the activities of the LifeWise group, which has sought an unprecedented level of access to our Ohio schools. LifeWise has circumvented critical safety and transparency practices, raising serious concerns among parents and educators alike. In our district, even volunteers must undergo background checks through an approved system, a practice that ensures high safety for students. Parents expect, and rightfully so, that their children are in a safe, controlled environment during the school day. LifeWise, however, is not bound by these same safety requirements, and our district has no authority over its background check process or the curriculum it teaches. While parents who choose to allow their children to attend LifeWise Academy must accept the risk, many mistakenly assume that the district has oversight or approval of these programs—which we emphatically do not.

Additionally, it is crucial to note that no reputable data demonstrates the effectiveness of the curriculum or religious values-based education LifeWise claims to provide. Their stated mission is to "reach unchurched students in public schools with the gospel through a replicable released time religious instruction program," yet there is no concrete evidence to suggest that this approach benefits our children or families in any meaningful way. Without solid evidence that it serves the genuine interests of our students, school leaders and community members should pause before offering support to this programming.

Furthermore, addressing these programs' operational strain on our district is essential. There is no feasible way for such programs to take students from school during the day without costing the district valuable staff time and attention. When students leave or return, district staff must coordinate to ensure they are accounted for and safe. We have observed efforts by groups like LifeWise to influence students on school grounds. Techniques such as distributing shirts that resemble uniforms create unnecessary social pressures, making other students feel excluded or compelled to join, effectively fostering tribalism within the school environment. District staff are inevitably drawn into monitoring and managing these disruptions, meaning that these programs come at an actual cost to our schools—both in terms of staff resources and school climate.

And finally, I am deeply concerned that, should this legislation pass, the door would open to increased ideological influence in our schools and challenge the commitment to keep public education secular, inclusive, and nonpartisan. It also risks serving only a subset of families, leaving our most vulnerable students behind. My concerns and many others are shared by parents, religious leaders, and education advocates alike, as evidenced by their presence in the Statehouse as the House and Senate education committees held hearings on HB445 and SB293. Official testimony opposing this legislation also outnumbered those in favor of it in both the House and Senate. 

Despite this statewide attention, residents of our Greater Cincinnati region may not be as informed about this legislation or the potential impacts it could have on our public schools. At our larger and more diverse school districts, it becomes even more crucial for community leaders, parents, and educators to engage in open dialogue and collaborate on issues that affect our children's education. I encourage everyone to stay alert about statewide trends involving outside groups seeking access to public school children through bad-faith actions and pending legislation that facilitates this. We must proactively address concerns about using public school time for religious instruction by communicating with our local school board members, contacting our elected legislators, and voicing our opinions to the Ohio House and Ohio Senate Education Committees. By working together, we can ensure that our schools remain inclusive, secular, and focused on providing a high-quality education for all students.

Michael Wilson is an education technology professional, public school parent, and member of the Milford Exempted Village Board of Education.