Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Religion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Presenters ask North Knox board to allow LifeWise release‑time religious instruction
Summary
Representatives from LifeWise Academy asked the North Knox School Corporation board to permit a voluntary, off‑campus release‑time religious instruction program, citing Zorach v. Clauson and saying the program is privately funded; the board did not vote on the request but asked for follow‑up details.
Representatives of LifeWise Academy told the North Knox School Corporation board they would like to offer a release‑time religious instruction (RTRI) program for district students and asked the board for permission to move forward with planning and community outreach.
Deanna Plummer, who identified herself as a North Knox graduate and member of the LifeWise steering committee, said the program would be voluntary, held off campus and privately funded. "It's a program that allows students to be released during the school day to receive religious instruction at off‑campus locations," she said, and added that participation would require parental permission.
Morgan Shooter, identified in the record as the director of the LifeWise site in South Knox, described logistics used at South Knox: sessions run during lunch/lunch recess to avoid pulling students from core instruction, volunteers provide meals when needed, and background checks are required for all volunteers. "We opened enrollment today again for the next school year and we're up to 157 kids for next school year," Shooter said, citing South Knox enrollment as a model for North Knox.
Presenters cited legal precedent for the model, noting the 1952 U.S. Supreme Court decision Zorach v. Clauson permits voluntary, off‑campus religious instruction when privately funded. Plummer told the board that Indiana is a "shall" state for release time, meaning state law requires accommodation where statutory conditions are met.
The group proposed hosting initial sessions at Word of Life church or the Camp Arthur dining hall and described safety steps including background checks for volunteers, training (first aid, active‑shooter response), security sweeps by law enforcement, and the possibility of a sheriff's‑office presence during sessions.
Representatives said local community interest appears strong: the presenters reported collecting 53 signatures in less than two hours at one outreach effort and a broader community interest list of "120‑some people." They also described curriculum and outcomes LifeWise cites—character development, mental‑health benefits, and academic improvement—based on the LifeWise curriculum and studies the group summarized for the board.
Board members asked procedural and logistical questions. One member could not locate the district policy on release‑time programs on the website and asked the presenters to email supporting documents. The presenters said they wanted to be respectful and consult the board before broad community outreach but were open to beginning enrollment and planning if the board was comfortable. No formal board action was taken on the request at this meeting.
Next steps noted in the meeting: presenters will follow up with requested policy references and continue planning logistics; the board indicated it wanted documentation (policy location and typical agreements) before making a formal district decision. The board also flagged that any adoption or formal approval would appear on a future agenda.
