Organizers pause plan for LifeWise program in New Phila
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Sept. 10, 2024) – The effort to create a released-time Biblical education program for fourth graders at West Elementary is on hold.
Brian Proctor is heading up the committee partnering with LifeWise Academy to provide voluntary, off-site religious classes during school hours. He shared the news during Monday’s board of education meeting, saying the focus needs to be on the bond issue the district is trying to pass in November.
“Bring character lessons and Bible training to kids is never the wrong thing, but sometimes timing is critical. Timing is more important sometimes than what you’re doing, and so I think we’re going to put a pause on this and take some pressure off the community and make it so that this is not the thing that we’re talking about.”
Jane Bachman has a son in fourth grade at West. She strongly encouraged the board to vow never to implement the program that she called ‘an Evangelical pyramid scheme’ designed to ‘make money off our community and indoctrinate our children.’
“The only reason Lifewise has successfully infiltrated some school districts in Ohio is because those school administrators neglected to read the fine print. Lifewise’s ideologies encourage discrimination and create division. They ostracize nontraditional families and those with differing religious beliefs.”
LifeWise attorneys assured Proctor that all staff, board members, and volunteers undergo a comprehensive third-party background check. They say program partners can also request more rigorous screenings like what’s required for in-school helpers. Jennifer Shrock and others on the school board appreciated the clarification but still had concerns.
“So we’re gonna have all these organizations and we’re gonna have all these different denominations coming and taking kids throughout the day with different volunteers. And so then we gotta make sure that they go with them and then come back, and they go with them and then they come back when it would just be so simple if the parents came and picked them up and then brought them back.”
Members ultimately voted 3-to-2 to rescind and rewrite the district policy from 2011 allowing kids to be released from school for religious instruction. Board member Amanda Fontana made the suggestion, believing additional safeguards were necessary.
“For the safety of our students and the safety of our district, I would be in favor of making the motion to repeal the RTRI policy until the process of revision can be completed.”
The discussion will continue during the board’s next Policy Committee meeting on September 20th.