By Danielle Rush
Every seat in Bonnie Pettay’s Maple Crest Middle School classroom is full this lunch period, and more are entering the room, lunch trays in hand.
As Pettay directs children to the few empty spaces available, Pastor Steve York stands at the front of the room and offers a prayer, before giving a short talk about how the students should have Jesus in their lives to be successful.
The students are participants in the school’s Growing with Christ lunch bunch, a voluntary program that meets monthly to pray and learn more about Christianity.
School officials have to walk a fine line between complying with state and federal laws and meeting the wishes of the community in offering faith-based programming at school.
Many in the Kokomo area do offer programs, like elementary programs where students leave school grounds for Christian instruction, or “meet me at the flagpole events,” for example.
Dave Barnes, Kokomo-Center Schools public relations consultant, said anything offered must be voluntary and not take place during regular classroom instruction time. They also must be student-initiated, he said.
Barnes said with the Maple Crest program, students must invite the church leaders, and the speakers are told they cannot recruit for their church or give handouts.
Faith-based programming takes place before or after school hours or during lunch, he said.
The Maple Crest program takes place during lunch, outside the cafeteria, he said.
“You cannot expose those children who do not wish to be part of it,” he said. Those who do participate voluntarily choose to go to another room.
Barnes said if a student group wanted to learn more about any religion, Christian or otherwise, it has to follow the same rules — it has to be student-initiated, student invitation and voluntarily attended.
“Students cannot be pressured to go,” he said.
Barnes said the groups must have a teacher supervising, but that teacher does not instruct or lead prayer.
He said, however, that the law does give some leeway to allow the activities, based on community standards.
“Part of the law is that if your community standards lean one way or another, you’re given a little more leeway. Looking at our community, I feel it is faith-based. For that reason, we feel we’re not going against our community standards in any way, shape or form.”
Several Kokomo-area elementary schools offer religious education classes, in which children leave the school to attend classes taught by people other than school employees.
Taylor Superintendent John Magers said the Taylor board approved a program for the intermediate school this school year, with some criteria involved.
“It had to take place off school property, it had to take place during non-instruction time, and it had to be completely voluntary,” he said, adding that school employees do not teach the classes.
Intermediate School Principal Stan Williams said about 102 students participate in the once-monthly program, which is during lunch time. He said students ride a bus to Cornerstone Church, across the street from the school. About 50 percent of eligible students participate, he said.
Magers said school officials have to follow the 14th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says public schools are not allowed to advance or inhibit religious beliefs.
“There is a fine line to walk, whether you’re taking about curriculum or whatever. If it’s in the context of history, it certainly needs to be included and encouraged in the curriculum, but if you are promoting a religious stance, that certainly would not be allowed.”
At Eastern School Corp., Superintendent Tracy Caddell said the middle and high school has a new Fellowship of Christian Athletes club this year.
He said that club follows the same rules as other clubs — most activities take place before or after school, but it can meet during club period like other clubs, and nobody is required to be a member.
Caddell said the school has to balance the law and community values.
“As much as possible you try to follow the separation of church and state issues, which includes public schools, while at the same time recognizing this is a faith-based community.
He said Eastern Elementary’s Christmas program always has faith-based elements, including Christian songs.
“Some schools no longer do that, unfortunately,” he said.
At Maple Crest Middle School, sixth-grader Willow Fearnow said she goes to the lunch program because “I like to hear about Jesus Christ,” and she learns more about her faith.
Cristiana Tate said she enjoys coming because her friends are there, and she likes learning about God.
“I don’t go to Sunday school often, so I come here to learn,” she said, adding that it is a valuable lesson for students, particularly those with few friends.
“If no one else will talk to you, you can always talk to God.”
• Danielle Rush is the Kokomo Tribune education reporter. She can be reached at 765-454-8585 or danielle.rush@kokomotribune.com.
