Students at Westerville City Schools will no longer be able to leave school during the day to attend Bible study or any other organized off-campus religious activities.
The Westerville school board struck down its policy on religious release time during a special meeting Monday night. The board voted 4 to 0, with one person abstaining.
The decision spells the end for the LifeWise Academy program in the district. The popular – and sometimes controversial – program had been operating in the district since September 2022. It bused students off-campus for Bible study. Students weren’t allowed to miss core classes like math or reading, but could leave during lunch or recess.
LifeWise said around 300 students, 18 paid staff and around 50 volunteers participated in the program in Westerville.
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Monday night, hundreds of parents, community members and LifeWise staff and volunteers attended the lengthy meeting at the board’s offices. Many wore red in support of LifeWise, while others wore black to show their opposition.
“I want to make one thing very clear, the concern around this policy has nothing to do with any specific religion or religious programs in general,” Westerville City School Board President Kristina Meyer said before Monday’s vote.
Meyer said at the Sept. 23 Board of Education meeting that the board had concerns about liability and, most importantly, disruption to educational time for students. Meyer also said lunch and recess were important for students’ development and to give them a break during the day.
Parents and community members had also raised concerns about reported bullying from some students enrolled in the LifeWise program.
Westerville parents can still take their children out of school for religious holidays.
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The district’s religious release time policy had been on the books in Westerville since 2009 and was last revisited in 2016.
LifeWise CEO Joel Penton, a Hilliard resident and former Ohio State defensive lineman, said in a statement that he was “disappointed” with the board’s decision to rescind the policy.
“We have heard from families, teachers and community members who have seen the overwhelmingly positive impact that LifeWise has had on students who participate in the program,” Penton wrote.
Penton went on to advocate for a bill in the Ohio House that would change one word in state law regarding religious release time – “may” to “shall.”
The new language would read, “A school district board of education shall adopt a policy that authorized a student to be excused from school to attend a released time course in religious instruction…”
The bill was introduced by then-representative Al Cutrona – now a state senator – and Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery). The bill is still in committee.
