LifeWise Academy is a Hilliard, Ohio-based religious instruction program that started in 2019 and now enrolls thousands of students across 30 states. (Photo: Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal.)
Republicans in the North Carolina Senate recently introduced a bill that would allow public school students to attend religious instruction during school hours.
Senate Bill 92, the “Released Time Education Act,” would permit local school boards to adopt policies that allow students to attend off-campus courses one to five hours per week for “religious moral instruction” provided by third party organizations.
The legislation comes as LifeWise Academy, a national organization that offers Bible education to public school students during school hours, has been preparing to expand into North Carolina, registering to operate in the state last year and seeking a state director.
The bill requires parental consent, prohibits using public funds for the programs, and allows up to two elective credits for completed courses.
Organizations offering the program would be required to maintain attendance records and provide course syllabi to school boards upon request. They would also be responsible for student supervision and liability during released time courses.
LifeWise, citing a little known 1952 Supreme Court decision in the case of Zorach v. Clauson, operates under the premise that released time religious instruction is constitutional if it occurs off school property, is privately funded, and with parental permission.
The organization, which launched in 2019, has rapidly expanded, now operating in over 300 schools across 30 states, providing weekly Bible lessons to as many as 50,000 public school students. The organization typically schedules its lessons to coincide with lunch periods or non-core classes such as library or gym class. In January, the Columbus Dispatch reported that LifeWise netted a “profit” of over $17.2 million in its most recent IRS filing, up from $4.3 million the year before.
The organization frames the initiative as reclaiming “the greatest missed opportunity” for churches to reach the next generation.
Critics argue the program excludes other students, detracts from academics, and allows proselytization in public schools. In Ohio, where Gov. Mike Dewine recently signed legislation establishing a released time policy, the Ohio Capital Journal reported that some parents have complained that their children have been bullied and ostracized for not attending LifeWise programs and been relegated to independent study time during the time in which other students were at the off-campus program.
If enacted into law, the bill, sponsored by Senators Bobby Hanig, Ted Alexander, and Carl Ford, would take effect in the 2025–2026 school year.
NC Newsline reporter Ahmed Jallow (ajallow@ncnewsline.com) would like to hear from people with information about released time efforts and programs already underway in their community.
Read the bill here: