DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – A national Bible study program is working to launch in Duval County Public Schools, but the proposal is drawing concern from some parents who worry that it will take kids out of class during school hours.
LifeWise Academy is a national program that offers religious instruction to students during the school day. The program operates under a Supreme Court ruling known as Released Time Religious Instruction, which allows students to participate in religious education during school hours if three criteria are met:
- The program is privately funded
- Instruction takes place off school property
- Parents give permission for their children to participate
In practice, students are bused from their school to an off-site location for the religious lessons.
Some parents in Duval County are uneasy about the program’s expansion into local schools. Mandy Rubin, a concerned parent, says how the program will work is a major issue.
“This does not need to be happening during school hours at all. That, to me, is such a non-starter,” Rubin said.
Safety is also a concern for Rubin.
“Taking children off of school campus during school hours that is such a safety issue, in my opinion,” she said. “These are not going to be district employees. It’s not a field trip.”
Reverend Sarah Locke, a local pastor and parent, has looked into LifeWise Academy’s curriculum and worries it doesn’t reflect the diversity of religious beliefs found in Jacksonville.
“It doesn’t represent a large swath of mainline Protestant denominations that we have here in Jacksonville or really in the United States at all,” Locke explained. “As somebody who’s in the Lutheran Church in the ELCA, we don’t have a sort of rigid theology around LGBTQ folks and divorce and those sorts of things.”
Locke also believes there are already options for families who want religious education for their children, such as private religious schools.
“You can take a voucher and you can send your student to a Christian school, or a Catholic school, or even any of the other schools that are recognized in those private realms,” she said. “But there’s just no place for religious instruction during our school hours in our public school.”
LifeWise Academy Program Director Rhianna Sandford responded to questions about the program with a statement:
The program operates under a well-established 70 year old Supreme Court law called Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI) which states that parents should be allowed to enroll students into a religious program during school hours as long as it abides by the following 3 criteria: 1.) The program is privately funded. 2.) The program takes place off school property. 3.) The program is parent permitted. The Law has allowed for this program to operate in over 30 states since 2018. Parents from all over the county who have communicated the desire for the program signed a community interest list to bring LifeWise to Duval. This is how LifeWise has come to our county. It’s a community-driven program. Parents will sign a permission slip which excuses their student to be released and gives LifeWise permission to teach their child weekly lessons off school property. It’s important to note that LifeWise is OPTIONAL for parents that want it for their student(s).
The program works WITH the school to plan a time that works outside of core instruction time.
We ensure students’ safety and abide by many of the same guidelines and protocols the public schools we serve do.
We’ve been studied by a third party group who actually shows how beneficial the character instruction is for children. Schools where students are enrolled have been proven to see improved behavior, decreased in and out of school suspensions, and increased school attendance. Our program gets positive benefits for students, families and schools.
Due to the fact that we’re still speaking with school principals where LifeWise is planning to launch, we will not state which schools we may launch in.
Rhianna Sandford, program director at LifeWise Academy
Duval County Public Schools shared that principals have received guidance on how to handle programs like LifeWise Academy, including the relevant School Board Policy and Florida Statute. The law allows students to be released from school for religious studies during non-instructional time, provided the program meets all legal requirements.
LifeWise Academy currently operates in more than 30 states.