Rockcastle County Public Schools to bus kids to church for bible study

According to an /r/lexington post, Roundstone Elementary, of Rockcastle County Public Schools, is set to begin bussing 2nd-5th graders to a local church for some bible study classes. The letter to parents describes the school-hours religious field trip as an “opportunity,” but some are questioning whether it is constitutional.

Religious kids get to go on a field trip while non-religious kids or religious kids of other religions have to stay in school and continue doing work.This is a pretty clear example of the government endorsing a religion.

Levi, a Times reader, via Facebook

Will they be offering other monthly lessons on different religions as well? Is Roundstone a private school or will that county’s tax dollars fund these excursions each month?

Kate, a Times reader, via Facebook

Staff at Roundstone referred a Times Web Editor to the Rockcastle District office. A District staffer abruptly ended a conversation with the editor, but said they would “follow up.”

HB 128, signed into law by Matt Bevin in 2017, allows for:

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 156 to require the Kentucky Board of Education to promulgate administrative regulations to establish an elective social studies course on the Hebrew Scriptures, Old Testament of the Bible, the New Testament, or a combination of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament of the Bible; require that the course provide to students knowledge of biblical content, characters, poetry, and narratives that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture, including literature, art, music, mores, oratory, and public policy; permit students to use various translations of the Bible for the course; amend KRS 158.197 to permit a school council to offer an elective social studies course on the Hebrew Scriptures, Old Testament of the Bible, the New Testament, or a combination of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament of the Bible.

KY HB128

A course offered under this section will be expected to follow applicable law and all federal and state guidelines in maintaining religious neutrality and accommodating the diverse religious views, traditions and perspectives of students in the school. A course under this section shall not endorse, favor, or promote, or disfavor or show hostility toward, any particular religion or nonreligious faith or religious perspective.

Kentucky Academic Standards for Historical and Cultural Influences of the Bible Elective Social Studies Course

Is this appropriate? You decide.

As a parent, I struggled with this issue when it was first passed in 2017. I’m not sure how much I want a public school teacher teaching the scriptures to my child for fear of possible misinterpretation or twisting of God‘s word. I would prefer to do it myself or to allow a trusted teacher to do it with whom I share a faith. Since it appears this class is voluntary, we can simply choose to participate or not. We can also choose to participate in the public school system or not.

Liberty, a Times reader, via Facebook