LifeWise Academy

The LifeWise bill requires K-12 school districts to develop policies for programs that allow, with parent permission, for outside religious groups to take children off school premises for religious instruction.

Worthington's school board voted 4-0 Monday to rescind its release time policy after Dec. 31.

The school district already has the Christian LifeWise academic program operating in the Marysville school district.

Worthington is the latest district to reconsider a religious release policy, as two state bills seek to require public schools to have religious release time policies.

At the center of the debate is the increasingly popular Hilliard-based LifeWise Academy, which runs in more than 500 schools in 23 U.S. states.

The decision spells the end for the LifeWise Academy in the district. The popular – and sometimes controversial – program had been in the district since fall 2022.

The Westerville City School Board is considering removing its religious release time policy. That would mean the end of the school district’s LifeWise Program.

The incidents allegedly happened while Renee Beck was employed as a teacher with the Loudonville-Perrysville school district. No charges were filed.

LifeWise, Inc. claims that a parent in an opposition group posed as a volunteer to get its copyrighted religious curriculum and then posted it online.

The increasingly popular LifeWise Academy will be in 525 schools in 23 U.S. states next school year. Its slogan is “during school hours.”