LifeWise Academy

LifeWise Academy is an Ohio-based Christian educational program founded in 2018 to provide Bible education for public school students during school hours under released time laws.^[1] LifeWise Academy states that it is interdenominational, aligned "with historic, orthodox Christian beliefs as expressed in the Nicene Creed."^[2]

History

LifeWise Academy was founded in 2018 by Joel Penton, a former Ohio State defensive lineman,^[3][4] as a division of his nonprofit ministry Stand for Truth.^[5] The organization was inspired by the weekday religious education program in his hometown of Van Wert, Ohio, in 2012.^[3] It is a division of a division of Stand for Truth that promotes Christianity in public schools.^[6] Penton has described public schools as a "mission field."^[7]

The organization is based in Hilliard, Ohio. As of 2024, the organization operates with paid employees in 30 states,^[8] and by the end of the year is projected to be in over 600 public schools districts in 30 states.^[7]

LifeWise Academy programs receive funding from local churches,^[9] private donors,^[5] and grants from organizations such as the National Christian Foundation,^[10] bringing in $6.5 million in fiscal year 2023,^[11] $13.8 million in fiscal year 2023,^[12] and $35.3 million in fiscal year 2024.^[13] For fiscal year 2024, LifeWise's largest received donation of $13,168,399 was made by the donor-advised fund American Endowment Foundation.^[14]

LifeWise Academy states that it is an ecumenical organization aligned "with historic, orthodox Christian beliefs as expressed in the Nicene Creed."^[2] With regard to varying theological opinions in Christianity, the LifeWise curriculum informs its "teachers to say there are different churches and that sincere Christians have different views on these topics" and because of Christian denominational differences, it focuses on common teachings that are shared by the major Christian denominations.^[15] The founder Joel Penton noted that Lifewise Academy had teachers from various Christian denominations, including evangelicals and Catholics.^[15]

In December 2023, Lifewise Academy purchased a 23,000-square-foot facility, formerly Aquatic Adventures, in Hilliard, Ohio to serve as a training and conference center.^[16] Penton plans to name a training room after Jim Tressel, who raised funds for LifeWise in 2023.^[17]

In 2024, LifeWise Academy launched the first Oklahoma program at Tahlequah Public Schools^[18] after several board members reluctantly approved.^[19] LifeWise currently operates in 30 states.^[20]

In 2025, LifeWise Academy was awarded an Innovation Award^[21] by the Project 2025-aligned Heritage Foundation.

In 2025, former Lewisburg, Ohio LifeWise Academy program teacher Rachel Snell filed an age-based labor discrimination claim with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC), alleging she was pressured to falsify timesheets, was disciplined for undefined “unholy” social media activity, and forced to resign. LifeWise denied the claims and, in June 2025, filed a writ of mandamus asking the Ohio Supreme Court to block the OCRC investigation, citing the “ministerial exception” that protects religious organizations from government interference in employment decisions involving religious roles. Snell rejected a financial settlement and said she seeks changes to LifeWise’s internal financial policies. As of mid-2025, the OCRC has closed its investigation into LifeWise and granted Snell the right to sue.^{[22][23][24][25]}

Lobbying

Beginning in 2023, LifeWise began an ongoing quarterly retainer with firm Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick to provide lobbying services.^[26]

Alabama

LifeWise's nationwide lobbying has been criticized by some school board members; in Alabama in early 2025, president of the St. Clair County Board of Education, Scott Suttle, said that while school districts are not opposed to RTRI, LifeWise manufactured the state's push for RTRI legislation:

"At the state level, we have not seen any type of grassroots effort that is clamoring for religious release time... What we have seen is a $35 million nonprofit that hired an Alabama lobbyist to come in and find a sponsor for the bill to push it in this state, as well as several other states.”^[27]

Oklahoma

According to Penton, LifeWise lobbied Oklahoma lawmakers to pass House Bill 1425, sponsored by Rep. Clay Staires and Senator Dave Rader, supplying them with “education materials about legislation that is aligned with our mission.”^[28]

Programming

LifeWise Academy operates under released time for religious instruction laws which were upheld in the 1952 US Supreme Court ruling, Zorach v. Clauson.^[1][29] This ruling allowed a school district to allow students to leave school for part of the day to receive religious instruction.^[29] However, three requirements needed to be met: classes are off school property; it's privately funded; and students participate with the permission of their parents.^[3] Release time programs are traditionally locally run and managed, whereas LifeWise Academy is a franchise model working with local steering committees to advocate for the program in their districts, including running for school board.^[11]

Programs are staffed by a director, teachers and volunteers, who help transport students and assist in classrooms as needed, paid by LifeWise Academy.^[1] High school programs may offer high school or college credits. In Ohio, the instruction can't take place during a “core curriculum” subject, often meeting at the same time as art or music classes, library periods, or during lunch.^[1][9]

Curriculum

LifeWise Academy's curriculum is based on The Gospel Project, a Bible study program produced by LifeWay Christian Resources^[30] designed for elementary schools as a five-year program covering the full Bible.^[1] LifeWise is required to provide access to its full curriculum upon request.^[31]

In 2025, Ms. Magazine shared a report identifying sections that labeled family structures outside the heterosexual nuclear family as wrong, repurposed material from Jeff Myers and David A. Noebel's book Understanding the Times, and claims that same-sex parenting is associated with negative social outcomes.^[10]

Reception

Implementing LifeWise programs have divided communities with some parents feeling it was inappropriate for public schools to implement religious studies.^[32][33] Other concerns include the possibility for children unenrolled in the program not receiving instruction during the time other students attend LifeWise's programs and that the program is unequitable for children of other faiths.^[34] Non-evangelical Christians have expressed concern about messages found in LifeWise materials, particularly around topics like marriage, divorce and the LGBTQ community.^[7]

A Fall 2023 study by Indiana consulting firm Thomas P. Miller & Associates found that schools that use LifeWise have improved attendance and fewer suspensions. The report quoted Shalonda Likely-Roach, a principal in Columbus City Schools, saying she had witnessed improvements, including higher grades, increased school attendance and fewer disciplinary actions among students who participate in Lifewise.^[35][36] The validity of the study's methodology has been questioned by Honesty for Ohio Education.^[37]

Among Christians

In 2021, Doug Garand, a Catholic priest of St. Augustine Parish in Napoleon, Ohio urged parishioners not to participate in or financially support the program, fearing the LifeWise curriculum could draw children away from the tenets of their Catholic faith.^[15] Peter Marcis, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Napoleon, Ohio regretted that "all clergy in the community were not brought together to work out the details."^[15] On the other hand, Karissa Rutkowski, coordinator of Catholic religious education at St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Van Wert, "has never been told that someone who participated in the LifeWise classes stopped going to the parish religious-education program as a result."^[15]

Leaders in progressive Christian groups have expressed concerns that the program aligns with a right wing movement to encroach on public education in the United States.^[38]

The socially conservative Family Research Council praised LifeWise Academy for its expansion and repeating Lifewise claims that students in the program performed well on exams and had better class attendance.^[39] LifeWise was a sponsor for Turning Point USA's 2024 summit.^[7]

Among parents

The Vermilion Daily reported that "Parents have noted the positive influence of the program, emphasizing its role in helping children develop a strong moral foundation and enhancing values taught at home."^[40]

On the other side, in 2023, Parents Against LifeWise was formed by parents who had seen detrimental effects for their children who did not participate in the program. Initially they raised awareness about claims of increased bullying, unsupervised "study hall" during LifeWise programming, disruptions to curriculum, and a perceived lack of background checks. The group found that a LifeWise worker was a former teacher whose license was revoked on allegations of sexting with a minor. LifeWise fired the worker, blaming the worker for a lack of disclosure.^[41] In 2024, LifeWise sued Parents Against LifeWise administrator and former LifeWise program volunteer Zachary Parrish for copyright violations after he put LifeWise's training materials and bible study curriculum online.^[7] The lawsuit was settled, with terms requiring Parrish to destroy all copies of LifeWise curriculum in his possession, while LifeWise is required to provide access to its full curriculum for 48 hours at a time upon request.^[42] Parrish said the settlement was a win, since parents were previously unable to see the curriculum.^[31] In early 2025, the name of the Parents Against LifeWise organization was changed to the Secular Education Association to reflect their broader mission of maintaining secular education in public schools.^[43]

In March 2024, another Ohio parent, Keith Comer, launched a website called "Respect Public Schools" with a map of school districts with LifeWise Academy operations, as well as statistics and other information about the program. The organization sent Comer cease and desist letters and threatened felony charges. Another parent, Mariah Carroll, found Lifewise to be important and worked to bring it into her community. Jackie Haines "said her daughter enjoys attending LifeWise, a program she believes builds character, confidence and bonds with peers." She further lauded that Lifewise "really enhances their toolkit when they face, inevitably, some type of adversity at school."^[44]

In Washington state, parent Geydon Gezahegne stated that "It has been great for us because our son is learning how to grow his mind and his spirit". Other parents expressed concern that offsite materials and programming influence student socialization when they return from school, and worry about disruptions to instruction time.^[38]

School policies

Alabama

April 2025, Alabama adopted an RTRI bill requiring school boards to adopt policies on whether to allow students to leave school for religious study and give them academic credit for it. SB 278 was sponsored by Sen. Shay Shelnut and Sen. Susan DuBose.^[45]

Indiana

In 2024, Indiana passed legislation filed by Kendell Culp to require schools to allow released time religious instruction after a school stopped cooperating with LifeWise.^[46]

Citing district RTRI policy, in July 2025 New Prairie United School District declined to allow LifeWise to start a program following LifeWise failing to provide copies of employees and volunteers' independently completed or Indiana State Police-ran background checks after multiple requests.^[47]

Kentucky

In early 2025, Kentucky legislators voted to allow public school boards to partner with organizations that offer moral instruction through religious or ethical programs to students^[48]; the new law became effective June 27, 2025.^[49]

LifeWise has faced opposition in Kentucky among some Oldham County Schools community members following a proposed policy allowing elective credit to be available through a partnership with LifeWise.^[50]

Nebraska

In 2025, Nebraska legislator Loren Lippincott proposed a bill modeled after other released time legislation with a LifeWise representative testifying in support.

The bill was removed from the Education Committee package due to pushback, with Republican legislators privately telling Nebraska Examiner that it went "too far," and Merv Riepe said the bill presented "high potential" for discrimination against other faiths.^[51]

Democratic legislator Megan Hunt also opposed the bill, taking issue with LifeWise's recruitment model which can involve free T-shirts, snacks, and other incentives for students.

“This is like Tupperware in the school,” Hunt said. “They’ve got to all bring a friend. The friends who aren't allowed to go are already feeling bad because they're excluded, they're not on the fun red bus, they're not getting the T-shirt, and now, if they don't go with their friend to church during school, their friend doesn't get a popcorn party, so then they're ostracized even more.”^[52]

New Jersey

In late 2024 in Ocean City, New Jersey, a local steering committee working with Landmark Church proposed a LifeWise religious release time program for Ocean City public school students.^[53]

Ohio

In 2022, Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools rescinded their released time policy, citing student instructional time as the primary concern.^[16] The program has since been blocked by at least four other districts.^[54]

In 2023, objection letters were dispatched to around 600 school districts in Ohio by atheist organization Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), expressing concerns about the endorsement of LifeWise's released-time Bible classes.^[55] The organization had been contacted by Ohioans who were concerned about how large-scale released time religious programs can negatively impact educational goals and that students have a First Amendment right to be free from religious indoctrination.^[56] The letter highlighted the goal of LifeWise to convert students, and reported a complaint that a student not participating in the program was assigned additional homework.^[35] Other complaints have documented instances of LifeWise volunteers promoting the program in school classrooms, assemblies, and in paperwork sent home to parents.^[11]

In 2024, Eaton Community Schools in Preble County ended their three year after-school program through LifeWise rather than transition to a school day program. LifeWise founder Penton describes the Eaton program as "experimental," and there are no other before or after school programs.^[31]

Following the objection letters, Ohio Attorney General David Yost released a statement reaffirming his stance of the legality of LifeWise programs as long as they follow Ohio law.^[57][33][58] Lieutenant governor Jon Husted promoted the program within his official capacity as an elected official.^[59]

In September 2024, Westerville City Schools' board of education voted to rescind the district's RTRI policy due to "...significant concerns about the disruptions caused by pulling kids out of school during the middle of the day."^[60] In December 2024, Worthington City Schools voted 4-0 to rescind the district's RTRI policy.^[61]

LifeWise lobbied for the 2024 bill introduced by Ohio representatives Al Cutrona and Gary Click that would require schools to permit released time religious education, also supported by First Liberty Institute and Ohio Christian Education Network and signed into law by Mike DeWine.^[62][7][31]

In 2025, following state requirements to allow released time for religious education programs, North East Ohio Learning Associates (NEOLA) issued updated guidance for school districts to manage released time with minimal disruptions to school activities.^[63] First Liberty Institute, representing LifeWise, threatened to sue Ohio school districts that do not allow students to bring candy and other "goodies" back to school from program instruction, describing this as a violation of religious liberty and freedom of speech. A parent noted in her testimony that her child's school policy forbids parents from sending food-based treats to school with students.^[64]

Oklahoma

Oklahoma representative Clay Staires sponsored the 2024 legislation that requires Oklahoma public schools to have a policy allowing religious time release programs. The bill's senate sponsor, David Rader, said he saw no contradiction with conservative "local control" values, incorrectly claiming that school districts had authority to approve offsite curriculum or student travel.

The law is unusual in that schools are now required to reward academic credits from third party instruction.^[65] Oklahoma’s law requires permits students to attend release-time classes for up to three class periods per week.^[66]

Regent Bank, Kimray and Hobby Lobby are among the businesses covering the costs of LifeWise operations in Oklahoma.^[67]

The Satanic Temple has announced intentions to launch their own time release program in Oklahoma, Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL), to provide alternative opportunities for students.^[65]

Texas

By early 2025, LifeWise had launched active programs in Texas including Amarillo and Abilene. In Amarillo, the Academy operated at South Georgia and Forest Hill elementary schools, offering weekly or bi-weekly Bible-based lessons during the lunch period.^[68] Forest Hill hosted the organization’s first bilingual class. In Abilene, fourth-grade students from Stafford Elementary attended off-campus lessons at the Christian Service Center during lunch and recess.^[69]

LifeWise CEO, Joel Penton, and Texas state directors at Texas capitol

A February 2025 poll of 800 registered Texas voters conducted by RMG Research found that 80% support teaching moral and character education in public schools. Additionally, 65% expressed support for Bible-based character lessons offered during school hours, provided the instruction is off-campus, privately funded, and voluntary with parental consent. The poll was cited by LifeWise Academy in support of its expansion efforts in Texas.^[70]

In May 2025, LifeWise CEO Joel Penton stated he was in Texas meeting with the organization's state directors and other key individuals from around the state.^[71]

June 2025, texas governor Greg Abbott signed into law SB 1049 allowing students to be excused from public schools for one to five hours per week for religious instruction.^[72]

Washington

In January 2025, LifeWise Academy launched its first program in Washington State near Emerson Elementary in Everett, offering off-site Bible instruction during recess and lunch. The program operates at New Hope Assembly church and is not affiliated with Everett public schools.

Community response was mixed. Supporters cited faith-based character education:

“It has been great for us because our son is learning how to grow his mind and his spirit,” wrote Geydon Gezahegne, a parent whose child, a student at Emerson, attends LifeWise, in a testimonial to the nonprofit. “Having it during the day has made it a part of his everyday life, and that has been crucial for his growth, which we find incredibly valuable.”^[73]

Critics raised concerns about mid-day religious instruction, social division among students, and ties to the Southern Baptist Convention via LifeWise’s licensed curriculum.^[73] In late 2024, Respect Public Schools Washington was formed by concerned parents and guardians, clergy, and community members who firmly believe in the separation of church and state for public schools.^[74]

The Everett school district denied requests to distribute materials in school and emphasized it neither endorses nor partners with LifeWise.

At a July 2025 board meeting, Everett School District board of education member Charles Adkins gave a public statement regarding LifeWise:

"My conscience demands that I speak about this… I also believe strongly that what we are allowing LifeWise to do is wrong and is harming our kids. The very kids I was elected to protect. LifeWise and its mission to bring white supremacy and Christian nationalism to our schools cannot be allowed to have access to our kids. LifeWise is explicitly supported by the Heritage Foundation and its Project 2025 effort to turn our nation into a fascist theocracy… And as someone who attended one of the last remaining boarding schools, still run by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, I'm all too familiar with the dark history that religious education has in this country with its treatment of kids of color, of native kids, of LGBT kids. I’m all too familiar with the attempts in the past and present by the white Christian majority to snuff out the cultures, religion, and language of native kids and other kids of color. We cannot allow this religious brainwashing and bullying of non-Christian and LGBT kids to take place when we can do something to stop it. We must do everything we possibly can to protect our kids."^[75]

By April 2025, LifeWise had also expanded to Spokane and Aberdeen, with additional programs in development statewide.^[73]

Awards

• 2025 Innovation Prize, The Heritage Foundation^[76]

See also

• School prayer in the United States
• Separation of church and state in the United States