- Boone County became the second Northern Kentucky district to reject Lifewise Academy’s released-time Bible study request after a school board motion failed to receive a second.
- The decision follows community debate, with teachers raising logistical concerns and residents speaking both for and against the program.
- Lifewise Academy, active in parts of Greater Cincinnati, is expanding under Kentucky’s new moral-instruction law but has faced mixed responses from local districts.
The Boone County School Board rejected a proposal from a religious education organization seeking to remove students from the classroom for one hour a week for voluntary Bible study.
Lifewise Academy, a Biblical-instruction organization based in Hilliard, Ohio, is attempting to expand into Northern Kentucky after the state’s General Assembly passed Senate Bill 19, which allows organizations seeking to provide moral instruction to submit a request to public school boards.
The law, which was vetoed by Gov. Andy Beshear, was ultimately overridden by the General Assembly. The law states that interested students can voluntarily receive moral instruction for one hour per week at no cost to the district…