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LifeWise Academy asks North Knox board to allow release-time religious instruction
Summary
Representatives from LifeWise Academy asked the North Knox School Corp board to allow a voluntary, privately funded release-time religious instruction program that would use off-campus sites and lunch/recess scheduling; presenters said South Knox enrolled more than 140 students in a soft launch and volunteered to coordinate logistics and safety checks.
Representatives from LifeWise Academy presented a proposal to the North Knox School Corp board seeking permission to offer release-time religious instruction (RTRI) for students, saying the program would be voluntary, privately funded and delivered off campus. “It's completely legal in all 50 states,” a presenter said, citing the 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Zorach v. Clauson and noting Indiana's status as a "shall" state for such programs.
Presenters described a lunch/recess model used at South Knox that they said avoids removing students from core instruction. Morgan Shooter said South Knox reopened enrollment and is expecting about 157 students for the next year; LifeWise representatives said volunteers undergo background checks and that LifeWise assumes liability while students are in their care. The group identified potential host sites (Word of Life church and Camp Arthur dining hall), said they have a steering committee (naming Jesse Scott and Randy Lett Hunter among participants), and requested permission to proceed with community outreach and early enrollment if the board is comfortable being kept informed.
Board members asked about district policy language and operational details, including volunteer-to-student ratios and transportation logistics. One board member noted they could not locate a district policy for release-time instruction on the website and asked the presenters to send the policy reference. Presenters estimated volunteer ratios around 1:10–1:12 and described plans to stagger grade groups across days to manage bus time and returns. The presenters also said the curriculum used is the Gospel Project and described it as non-denominational, using a “head, heart, hands” method.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation but indicated willingness to allow respectful outreach and early planning if the presenters keep the district apprised. Presenters asked whether waiting until the June meeting would be too late; board members said they were open to outreach and logistics work before a final board decision. The next procedural step is for presenters to provide requested policy references and logistical clarifications to the administration so the board can consider a future formal request.
