Carlisle parent asks board to acknowledge Lifewise Academy release‑time religious program

Kristen King, a Carlisle parent and community volunteer, asked the Carlisle Local School District Board of Education on June 24 to acknowledge an initiative called Lifewise Academy and to work with organizers on scheduling and logistics.

"My name is Kristen King, and I am a proud Carlisle mom," King told the board, saying Lifewise Academy is a "Bible‑based character building education program that operates under the Supreme Court guidelines for release time for religious instruction." She said the organizers would offer voluntary, ungraded lessons during a specials rotation and would transport participating students off campus to Christ Church for a brief lesson and return them to school.

King asked the board for either a verbal or written acknowledgment that the program is "coming" and for district cooperation while a steering committee and a future program director finalize grades served and scheduling. She said organizers expected classes to take place during an ungraded rotation such as library so the lessons would not conflict with core academics.

Board members did not vote on the request during the meeting. Members asked for staff review and said they would work with the organizers to identify a workable schedule and any legal or logistical requirements. The district did not specify a timetable for a formal response at the meeting.

What happened next: King said the group would hire a program director to complete logistics after receiving board acknowledgment. The board moved on to routine business and later entered an executive session for a personnel matter; no formal action regarding Lifewise Academy was recorded at the June 24 meeting.