By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
The LifeWise program which is coming to North Adams Schools also came to the Decatur City Council at its recent meeting.
LifeWise is an evangelical Christian organization which brings off-campus religious instruction programs to students in public schools during school hours.
LifeWise says it “works with public schools to integrate a Bible class into their weekly class schedule.”
Vanessa Bittner came before city council to explain aspects of the program. The Decatur native and Bellmont grad is director of the program being established at North Adams.
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LifeWise Academy already is operating in South Adams schools and setting up at Adams Central.
Parents must approve of their children participating in the program, it must be held offsite, and it must be privately funded, Bittner told council.
The program is expected to start in the first through fourth grades at North Adams this fall, and in ensuing school years will be made available in the high school, then in the fifth through eighth grades, according to Bittner.
She said LifeWise is currently looking to hire teachers and bus drivers. LifeWise buses will take students from the school to the program site at nearby Cornerstone Community Church, then be returned to the school.
Bittner said students in the program would be released during their school “library time” to participate.
“I cannot emphasize enough how this is going to improve Decatur,” Bittner remarked.
LifeWise says on its website that “as of 2024, 30,000 students are enrolled in the program and that LifeWise Academy programs receive funding from local churches, private donors bringing in $6.5 million in fiscal year 2023.”
According to Internet information, the United States Supreme Court upheld released time laws during the 1952 Zorach v. Clauson case which permitted a school district to have students leave school for part of the day to receive religious instruction.
Released time religious instruction must meet three criteria: the courses must take place off school property, be privately funded, and students must have parental permission.