Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Rtri Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents urge stronger safeguards in release‑time religious instruction policy; board to finalize administrative guidelines
Summary
Public commenters asked Westerville trustees to tighten the district’s release‑time religious instruction (RTRI) policy to require criminal records checks for outside instructors and to strengthen parental consent; the board said administrative guidelines would be developed and that state law now requires districts to adopt an RTRI policy.
During the public‑comment period on April 7, parents urged the Westerville Board of Education to strengthen the district’s release‑time religious instruction (RTRI) policy and to require the same level of background screening for outside instructors and volunteers that the district requires for Level 2 volunteers.
Tobias Gordon, who identified himself as a parent, told the board that Ohio law requires districts to adopt an RTRI policy and requested changes to the district’s proposed language to address student disruption and safety. Gordon asked the board to require criminal background checks for instructors and volunteers from private sponsoring entities and to clarify parental‑consent procedures in administrative guidelines. He read language he said had been added to the state bill: “A school district board of education may include in its policy a requirement for a criminal records check of any instructors or volunteers of a private sponsoring entity providing release time course and religious instruction to the board's students under that policy.”
Board response and next steps: Trustees said they had worked with district attorneys on liability questions and that they plan to draft administrative guidelines to accompany the policy. A board member noted that the policy adopted at the meeting would not be the final implementation document and that policies can be revised. The president reiterated the board’s request that speakers not identify students by name during public comment and reminded the public that board policy sets the process for personnel or operational complaints.
What was requested: Commenters asked the board to (1) adopt RTRI policy language that mandates criminal background checks for outside instructors and volunteers, (2) strengthen written parental‑consent requirements and (3) publish clearer administrative guidelines before implementation.
Quotation evidence: Public commenter Tobias Gordon asked the board to “require any RTRI program to have the same level of background checks that would be required for any school district level 2 volunteer.”
