Parents, residents urge Everett School District to pause Lifewise Academy activities on campus

Speakers at the Everett School District board meeting on June 24 urged the board to pause its local arrangements with Lifewise Academy, a third‑party religious program, and to adopt clear district rules governing release of students for outside instruction. Multiple residents said Lifewise staff or buses have removed students from campus and that the district lacks a written policy to govern third‑party removal of children during the school day.

"Their ultimate goal is to terminate our US constitution's separation of church and state and to indoctrinate as many students as possible with their particular religious ideologies," said Lawrence Abb Ambiguri, a resident, who criticized Lifewise's affiliations and presence in schools. Jennifer Phillips McClellan, another resident, cited the U.S. Supreme Court case Zorach v. Clauson while arguing the decision does not require districts to permit outside religious instruction…