HILLIARD, Ohio—Around lunch time, a group of children in Ohio’s Clark County leave their school to study the Bible, pray, and sing worship songs.
They are taking part in the LifeWise Academy, a nonprofit organization that offers faith-based character education to public school students during school hours under “released time” religious instruction laws, where students are excused from their regular classes with parental consent.
Nikohl Hamilton is the local chapter’s program director. Her 7-year-old son, Ethan, is one of the students. What started as a pilot program in March 2024 with 13 students grew to 30 by year’s end and to 75 when the current school year began….