Public schools are supposed to belong to everyone. But in Arizona, a growing push from LifeWise Academy and a bill moving through the legislature threatens to blur the line between private faith and public education in ways that should concern everyone, no matter what they believe.
LifeWise Academy presents itself as a simple answer to a complicated problem: let students leave campus during the school day for Bible classes, and somehow everyone wins. On its website, LifeWise says it partners with parents and helps public school students grow in character with “Bible education during school hours.”
LifeWise is not a neutral enrichment program. It is an explicitly Christian ministry whose stated mission is to bring Bible instruction into the public-school day and “reach public school students with the gospel.” In Arizona, that matters now more than ever because lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it easier for programs like LifeWise to gain a foothold in public schools.
