There鈥檚 a new provision in the state budget approved by House Republicans that affects how Ohio's K-12 public schools accommodate religious-based programs like LifeWise under rules involving release time for religious instruction.
Last year, Ohio lawmakers mandated the state鈥檚 K-12 schools have a policy for allowing students to attend religious instruction, off campus, during the school day. That provision was part of , known as the "Parents' Bill of Rights." Schools could decide the number of hours for that release time, known as RTRI.
鈥淯nder the bill that was passed in the last general assembly, it was pretty open-ended," said Jennifer Hogue, director of legislative services for the Ohio School Boards Association.
But lawmakers are revisiting that in the House budget.
"The newest budget bill changes that to set sort-of a floor and a ceiling," Hogue said. "Districts would be required to allow religious release time instruction at least one period per week and no more than two periods per week."
Hogue said the rule that the program could not be offered during core classes remains in effect.
Some school districts throughout the state had taken action in the past to block or end arrangements with LifeWise and other religious programs that took children off campus during the school day for religious instruction. Some parents have complained that students who attend often come back with stickers, candy and other items that make kids who don't participate feel "left out." LifeWise has said it will halt that, but parent groups opposing the practice of release time for religious instruction say the practice continues.
An elementary school in Marysville offers The Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL) program under the release time for religious instruction rule. The Satanic Temple, a church according to rules established by the IRS, said its program features crafts and activities with instructors who have undergone background checks. The Satanic Temple said announcing its first program at a school in Pennsylvania that "Christian RTRI programs shuttle students off-campus on weekly field trips where the programs push Bible-based instruction. Any students who choose not to attend are later regaled with stories of fun activities and warnings from their classmates that they will surely burn in hell for not participating."
All students who attend programs operated under the release time for religious instruction rules must first have permission from their parents.
