Weekday Religious Education
Weekday Religious Education (WRE) or Released Time for Religious Instruction (RTRI) is a released time religious education programLithwick, Dahlia. [http://www.slate.com/id/2113611/ Bible Belt Upside the Head]. Slate, February 16, 2005. Accessed July 27, 2006.Palmetto Family Council. [http://www.palmettofamily.org/Reports/Education/HTMLRpt/educat05.htm Released Time Education]. Accessed July 27, 2006. for public school students in the United States. The program is administered during school hours, but by law[http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=333&invol=203 McCollum v. Board of Education, 333 U.S. 203 (1948)]. Retrieved from FindLaw, July 27, 2006. must be conducted outside school property. Weekday Religious Education classes are offered in school districts in several states, most of them rural.
History
In 1914, the Superintendent of Schools in Gary, Indiana, requested that local ministers teach principles of Christianity to school students during the school day. In support of WRE programs and faced with declining membership, churches argued that secular education didn't appropriately prepare students for adulthood because it excluded religious views of moral and ethical concepts.{{Cite journal |last=Sullivan |first=Russell N. |date=1949 |title=Religious Education in the Schools |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1189950 |journal=Law and Contemporary Problems |volume=14 |issue=1 |pages=92–112 |doi=10.2307/1189950 |jstor=1189950 |issn=0023-9186|url-access=subscription }} In 1946, Erwin L. Shaver wrote an article entitled, "The Movement for Weekday Religious Education" for the journal, Religious Education.Shaver, Erwin L. "The Movement for Weekday Religious Education". Religious Education, Vol. 41 No. 1. 1946. At the time, religious programs enrolled over 2 million students in more than 3,000 communities in 46 states.
Programs varied state to state with various time arrangements including before or after school, early dismissal, and time during the school day called "released time". The only program questioned legally was released time where the student would leave their public school work for a set period of time at the request of their parent. This type of program was also the most attractive to church leaders because it was compulsory for students whose parents have requested the class, didn't compete with other educational options, and enticed other children to want to join both WRE and church services. Curriculum for WRE programs were developed by locally for and by the community with no accepted standards for achievement.{{Cite journal |last=LeValley |first=Ruth |date=1947 |title=Weekday Religious Education in the Public Schools in North Carolina |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40367504 |journal=The High School Journal |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=77–84 |jstor=40367504 |issn=0018-1498}} WRE as a practice was utilized non-denominationally for Protestants, Catholics, and Jews.
In 1948, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in re: McCollum v. Board of Education that religious classes held on public school property are unconstitutional. However, classes continued in locations where the program was held outside school grounds. (See also "Criticisms", below.) The Supreme Court later ruled, in re: Zorach v. Clauson, that religious classes held outside school grounds, but during the school day, did meet constitutional requirements dictating the separation of church and state.
An increase in WRE programs started around 2019 with the non-profit LifeWise Academy who develop curriculum to support new programs in Ohio. Since the curriculum is evangelical in nature, Catholics fear children may be less likely to attend church on Sundays for their parish's religious instruction.{{Cite web |title=Are Evangelicals' 'Released Time for Religion' Programs a Threat to Catholic Formation? |url=https://www.ncregister.com/news/are-evangelicals-released-time-for-religion-programs-a-threat-to-catholic-formation |access-date=2022-09-16 |website=NCR |date=14 June 2021 |language=en}}
Current programs
Weekday Religious Education classes are currently offered in several school districts in the United States. Each program is organized locally and is funded through donations.{{Cite web |title=The Columbus Dispatch |url=https://www.dispatch.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dispatch.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2022%2F07%2F21%2Fstaunton-woman-optimistic-weekday-religious-education-will-return%2F65378313007%2F |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=www.dispatch.com}} The following is a partial list, sorted by state:
= Idaho =
= Indiana =
In Fort Wayne, Indiana,The Associated Churches of Fort Wayne & Allen County, Inc. [http://www.associatedchurches.org/PDF/Weekday%20Religious.pdf Weekday Religious Education] (in PDF format). Accessed July 27, 2006. classes are offered to children in the third, fourth, and fifth grades. Classes in the third grade focus upon introducing students to a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ". Third graders also learn about "Hebrew traditions", among which are "Sabbath, the Greatest Commandment, synagogue school and Jesus visiting Jerusalem". Fourth grade classes incorporate lessons about the patriarchs and other figures from the Old Testament. In the fifth grade, students are taught that the Bible is the "inspired Word of God". Classes in Fort Wayne, Indiana use the Good News Bible.
Other Indiana programs are supported by the Gideons, International and use the New King James Version of the Bible. Some programs teach Creation Science, Old and New Testament Survey and the Life of Christ as young as second grade.
= Kansas =
= New York =
= Ohio =
LifeWise Academy operates 125 time release programs in school districts throughout Ohio using a plug-and-play method where the organization develops a curriculum for local churches to use,{{Cite web |last=Siefert |first=Kate |date=2022-09-12 |title=Hilliard School board approved religious release policy, discusses LGBTQ badges |url=https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/hilliard-school-board-approved-religious-release-policy-discusses-lgbtq-badges-lifewise-academy-community-inclusion |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=WSYX |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Saved by the bell: LifeWise Academy brings off-site religious education to public schools |url=https://news.yahoo.com/saved-bell-lifewise-academy-brings-193300144.html |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=news.yahoo.com |date=21 November 2021 |language=en-US}} Their program includes the following districts:
- Ayersville{{Cite web |date=April 8, 2021 |title=Lifewise Academy to offer college courses |url=https://thevwindependent.com/news/2021/04/08/lifewise-academy-to-offer-college-courses/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=The VW independent |language=en-US}}
- Dublin{{Cite web |title=The Columbus Dispatch |url=https://www.dispatch.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dispatch.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fcommunities%2Fhilliard%2F2022%2F09%2F13%2Fhilliard-students-permitted-to-receive-off-site-religious-instruction-during-school-day%2F69491232007%2F |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=www.dispatch.com}}
- Elida{{Cite web |title=Elida Local - OH |url=https://www.lifewiseacademy.org/live/3904577/elida-local |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=LifeWise Academy |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Klemann |first=Mackenzi |date=2021-03-19 |title=LifeWise Academy coming to Elida |url=https://www.limaohio.com/news/2021/03/19/lifewise-academy-coming-to-elida/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=LimaOhio.com |language=en-US}}
- Hilliard
- Greenville{{Cite web |last=Miller |first=Abigail |date=2022-08-10 |title=Nonprofit-ministry LifeWise Academy to launch at Greenville City Schools this fall |url=https://darkecountynow.com/nonprofit-ministry-lifewise-academy-to-launch-at-greenville-city-schools-this-fall/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=Darke County Now |language=en-US}}
- Napoleon
- New Albany
- Northridge{{Cite web |last=McClory |first=Eileen |title=Bible study during school day offered to local public districts |url=https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/bible-study-during-school-day-offered-to-local-public-districts/ZXNTL55MMZBDBDNGI6OICBJADY/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=dayton-daily-news |language=English}}
- Olentangy Local School District{{Cite web |date=2022-09-09 |title=LifeWise Academy expands - Delaware Gazette |url=https://www.delgazette.com/news/98312/lifewise-academy-expands |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=www.delgazette.com |language=en-US}}
- Pandora-Gilboa
- Riverview
- Wayne Trace
- Westerville
- Whitehall{{Cite web |title=Whitehall City - OH |url=https://www.lifewiseacademy.org/live/3904507/whitehall-city |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=LifeWise Academy |language=en}}
- Worthington
- Upper Arlington.{{Cite web |last=Corvo |first=A. Kevin |title=LifeWise Academy seeks policy to allow off-site religious programming for Hilliard students |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/communities/hilliard/2022/03/17/lifewise-academy-seeks-policy-allow-off-site-religious-programming-hilliard-students/7048933001/ |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=The Columbus Dispatch |language=en-US}}
- Van Wert, LifeWise Academy's flagship program
Other programs in the state include:
- Bellefontaine, Ohio2002 Annual Report, prepared for the First United Presbyterian Church of Bellefontaine, Ohio. No longer available online; retrieved by Google on January 27, 2005, and [http://www.miamipresbytery.org/churches/bellefontainefirst/default.asp?fulltextitem=625 cached on Google]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}
- Bluffton
- New Riegel{{Cite web |title=5223 - RELEASED TIME FOR RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION |url=https://files.neola.com/newriegel-oh/search/policies/po5223.htm |access-date=2022-09-13 |website=files.neola.com}}
- Sidney, Ohio, established in 1921 and administered by the Council of Religious Education, Inc. (CORE){{Cite web |date=2022-01-24 |title=CORE celebrates 100 years in Sidney City Schools - Sidney Daily News |url=https://www.sidneydailynews.com/news/213992/core-celebrates-100-years-in-sidney-city-schools |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=www.sidneydailynews.com |language=en-US}}
- Tiffin, Ohio{{cite web
| url=http://www.tiffinwre.org
| title=Weekday Religious Education - Tiffin
| accessdate=2006-07-28
| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050910054515/http://www.tiffinwre.org/
| archivedate=2005-09-10
}}[http://www.tiffin.edu/about/tiffinoh/ Tiffin University site], accessed January 21, 2008
= Utah =
= Virginia =
WRE classes were first offered in Virginia in the 1920s in Arlington and Fairfax.{{Cite news |last=Morello |first=Carol |date=2005-01-23 |title=Bible Breaks at Public Schools Face Challenges in Rural Virginia |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2005/01/23/bible-breaks-at-public-schools-face-challenges-in-rural-virginia/abc3b2cd-ef10-4bd7-b986-10bea47bbdb8/ |access-date=2022-08-23 |issn=0190-8286}} Programs are offered in over 80 public schools in Virginia with over 12,000 students enrolled.{{Cite web |last=Daily |first=Tommy Keeler Jr The Northern Virginia |title=Shenandoah School Board educated about Weekday Religious Education program |url=https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/shenandoah-school-board-educated-about-weekday-religious-education-program/article_b442fd5e-178f-5d58-b851-039c5a5b613e.html |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=The Northern Virginia Daily |date=16 July 2021 |language=en}}
- Augusta County, Virginia, established in 1940
- Pulaski, Virginia[http://www.wrepulaski.org/ Weekday Religious Education - Pulaski, VA] official site. Accessed January 21, 2008.
- Rockbridge County, Virginia
- Rockingham County, Virginia[http://rockinghamwre.weebly.com/ Rockingham County Weekday Religious Education]
- Shenandoah County, Virginia
Criticisms
Dahlia Lithwick, in her article for Slate magazine, summarized several criticisms of the Weekday Religious Education program as administered at that time in Staunton, Virginia. Among these criticisms is that communities in which WRE classes are taught ostracize those students who elect to opt out of the program;Graham, Chris. [http://www.augustafreepress.com/stories/storyReader$31696 Board preserves WRE]. Augusta Free Press, February 15, 2005. Accessed July 27, 2006. that WRE classes subtract from classroom time, making education mandated by federal programs such as the No Child Left Behind Act more difficult.