The Debate Over Off-Campus Bible Classes in Kentucky
The Boone County School Board recently allowed a motion to die that would have approved off-campus Bible classes during the school day for students in the district. This decision comes after similar votes in other Kentucky counties, reflecting a growing debate over the inclusion of religious instruction in public schools.
LifeWise, an Ohio-based Christian nonprofit organization, provides these Bible classes and has been seeking approval in multiple school districts across Kentucky. However, the movement has faced resistance from several local school boards due to concerns about disruption and legal implications.
Barbara Brady, a spokesperson for Boone County Public Schools, explained that the motion failed because it was not seconded. She noted that the board had already discussed their reasons for not adopting a policy for moral instruction at a previous meeting. According to Brady, the decision was based on logistical challenges and potential disruptions to the school day.
“It was considered too disruptive to the school day,” Brady wrote in an emailed statement. “While students are out for moral instruction, other students cannot continue with their education until those students return. What happens if those students, out for moral instruction, are late or don’t return at all for the day, are all students supposed to fall behind in their education for a few?”
Brady also mentioned that the board cited “the lack of clarity in state law” as another factor in their decision.
Similar Decisions in Other Counties
Kenton County’s Board of Education voted unanimously at its November 3 meeting to deny the application submitted by LifeWise Academy to provide a release-time moral instruction program. The decision followed a recommendation from Superintendent Henry Webb, who raised concerns about the disruption of core educational instruction for the district’s more than 13,500 students.
Oldham County School Board also voted unanimously in October against providing off-campus Bible classes to students during the school day. In late August, the Warren County School Board voted against LifeWise’s program proposal 3-2.
However, not all districts have rejected the program. McCracken County Board of Education voted 4-1 to approve LifeWise Academy’s request to provide Bible-based “character education” to Lone Oak Intermediate School students off campus during school hours. Marshall County is the other Kentucky district that has approved the classes.
Expansion of LifeWise Programs
LifeWise is planning proposals in at least 45 of Kentucky’s 171 school districts, according to media reports. The organization was founded by Joel Penton, a former Ohio State University football player, and is based in Hilliard, a Columbus suburb.
The organization’s principle belief is “keeping the gospel at the center of the program is our only hope for genuinely changing the hearts of the next generation.”
In 2025, the Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill 19, sponsored by Sen. Rick Girdler, R-Somerset, which created a process for school districts to allow off-campus moral instruction, including Bible classes.
According to the conservative Christian public policy organization Family Foundation, the classes “would be optional for families and students to participate in, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the First Amendment allows these optional off-campus Bible classes.”
Student Participation and Legal Requirements
Under the law, students who don’t participate in a moral instruction class must remain in school and take noncredit enrichment courses or participate in educational activities not required in the regular curriculum. These courses or activities must be supervised by certified school staff and may include, but are not limited to, study hall, computer instruction, music, art, library, physical education, and tutoring.
More than 1,000 schools across 34 states allow students to participate in LifeWise programs during school hours. LifeWise organizes a local team to provide the programming, transportation, and staff without receiving taxpayer funding.
The office of Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, a Republican, recently stated that a local board of education is not required to approve a request submitted by a qualified provider to provide moral instruction to students if a board’s decision to deny the request is not arbitrary or motivated by “animosity to religion.” Coleman’s office also said a local board of education is required to accommodate a parent’s request to release a student to attend a district-approved moral instruction program, if there are any.
Community Perspectives
At the Boone County board meeting, Micah Smith spoke in favor of LifeWise Academy, stating that the classes were trying to bring up students “to love one another.” Despite this support, the board ultimately chose not to adopt the program, citing logistical and legal concerns.
As the debate continues, the question of how to balance religious instruction with the needs of public education remains a complex issue for school boards across Kentucky.