Committee Approves Bill To Expand Role Of Religion In Schools

By Erica Irish
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS—A bill by Sen. Dennis Kruse, R-Auburn, in its initial form would have introduced sweeping changes to the role religion plays in public schools, opening the door for schools to teach courses on creation science and Bible studies.

But after speaking with stakeholders, Kruse proposed an amendment at a Senate Education and Career Development Committee hearing Wednesday to undo most of the proposal.

Originally, Senate Bill 373 would have required schools to acquire a poster that clearly displays the motto of the United States — “In God We Trust” — for all classrooms and libraries within a school building. But it would be up to the schools to secure the funds for the posters, either through donations or the school district’s own dollars.

Now, only one provision in the bill remains and it passed out of the education committee in an 8-2 vote, with Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, and Eddie Melton, D-Gary, voting against.

Should SB 373 become law, public high schools will be able to count time spent by a student on optional religious instruction as academic credit, up to a maximum of two elective academic credits.

Kruse, who previously served on the board of directors for a Child Evangelism Fellowship division in Indiana, said religious education organizations are allowed to ask for time to work with students thanks to a Supreme Court decision.

Dating back to 1952, the case Zorach v. Clauson involved a New York City law that permitted its public schools to release students for optional religious instruction should the parent of a child request it.

The Supreme Court determined this measure did not violate the First Amendment of the federal constitution, which prohibits the establishment of a state religion, because the religious education was optional to students and did not pose an additional cost to school districts.

Kruse cited Child Evangelism Fellowship, whose mission is to “evangelize boys and girls with the Gospel of the Lord of Jesus Christ,” as one of the most prolific religious learning options for schools around the country. In 2018, through its programs in schools, homes, camps and internet ministries, the fellowship served an estimated 22.9 million children worldwide, according to its website.

Sen. Mark Stoops, D-Bloomington, said he was concerned SB 373 prioritized Christian interests and could limit opportunities for students who want to explore other religions.

“Can somebody go to a Catholic school and teach the Qur’an?” Stoops asked. “Hopefully you’ve got both in there. It seems like if it works one way it should be able to work both ways.”

Some who testified took issue with the reality that public schools should release students for religious education at all.

Reba Boyd Wooden, executive director of the Center for Inquiry Indiana, a non-profit committed to advancing secular values, said each of her children went through a district that offered release time for religious education. She allowed them to decide if they wanted the instruction.

While her son chose to attend, her daughter did not, opting to complete her homework instead. But overall, Boyd Wooden said, including release time for optional religious instruction disrupted already limited class time for all students and their teachers.

“We are talking about having enough time to teach the essentials in schools, and we’re taking time out of that,” Boyd Wooden said.

SB 373 now moves to the full Senate for debate.

FOOTNOTE: Erica Irish is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.