LOCAL EDUCATION · OHIO
Westerville Released-Time Religious Instruction & LifeWise Tracker
Westerville’s posted Policy 5223 documents adoption on April 7, 2025 and revision on September 22, 2025. It limits elementary and middle school release to one period per week and treats every graded course as core curriculum. Current program attendance is not verified here.
Adopted
Policy, provider plans and actual operation are tracked separately. Research baseline: October 7, 2026.
Current status and local rules
| Question | Finding | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Policy / latest located action | Policy 5223; adopted April 7, 2025; revised September 22, 2025. Dates come from the adopted manual; a vote count was not located. | Document / record |
| Weekly release limit | Elementary/middle: one period weekly. High school: time equivalent to attending one unit of high school credit per week. The latter is a time measure, not an award of one credit each week. | Document / record |
| Core subjects protected | All graded courses, including courses with state-approved learning standards. Confirm the proposed departure against the actual student timetable. | Document / record |
| Scheduling | District collaborates with the sponsor; release occurs at times identified by the district. Administrative guidelines are assigned to the superintendent/designee. | Document / record |
| High-school credit | The reviewed Policy 5223 does not set out a local award procedure. State law permits up to two units under an authorized district policy; no particular course approval was located. | Document / record |
| Screening | No screening clause appears in the reviewed 5223 text. Other agreements or policies may apply; Ohio permits local screening requirements. | Document / record |
| Provider / program status | LifeWise participation was reported in September 2024. This historical evidence does not establish a current roster, enrollment total or verified October 2026 operation. | Document / record |
| Consent | Written parent or guardian consent is required. | Document / record |
| Attendance / make-up work | Sponsor keeps attendance records available to the district. Qualifying attendance is not a school absence; the student remains responsible for missed work. | Document / record |
| Transportation | Sponsor, parent, guardian or student is responsible. Ohio expressly includes transportation for students with disabilities; no district transport entitlement is created by this provision. | Document / record |
| Public resources / location | Instruction must be privately provided off district property. Public funds and school personnel may not provide the religious instruction. | Document / record |
| Provider liability / insurance | Sponsor must provide for and assume liability. A specific current insurance amount or district agreement was not verified in this review. | Document / record |
| Participating schools / enrollment | No current district-issued participating-school roster or attendance count was verified. No school list is inferred from the policy. | Document / record |
Why Westerville’s one-period rule matters
The statewide elementary/middle default is two periods, but the current law lets a district specify a different limit. Westerville’s adopted text specifies one period. Its high-school time measure also uses one unit rather than the state default of two. These are local policy choices; neither number describes automatic academic credit. Local policy · Current law.
The policy protects all graded courses, making the student’s actual schedule central to a release request. Families should obtain the current administrative timetable, departure/return procedure and missed-work instructions before relying on a provider schedule.
Program materials and staff neutrality
The posted policy permits educational and program materials, restricts the return of unrelated items and refers outside distribution to Policy 9700. It also tells staff neither to promote nor discourage participation. Older coverage of broader bans should be checked against this revised text and the state materials provision. Policy 5223.
What the LifeWise evidence establishes
September 2024 reporting documented LifeWise participation before the policy dispute. This tracker does not carry that historical count forward. The final adopted manual, rather than a report predicting a future vote, establishes the 2025 policy dates. Historical report · Adopted manual.
The next operational records needed are a current district release procedure, any sponsor arrangement and a dated official school/activity record. A policy covering private providers is not itself a district endorsement of LifeWise.
Board actions and implementation timeline
| Date | Record type | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2025 | Adopted policy | Adoption date printed in current Policy 5223; roll call not located. Source |
| September 22, 2025 | Revised policy | Posted manual records revision and the one-period / one-unit-equivalent schedule. Source |
| October 7, 2026 | Verification | Posted manual reviewed; current school roster and operating attendance not verified. Source |
How current Ohio law applies
Ohio requires a qualifying release policy and at least one period weekly, written parental consent, sponsor attendance records and liability, private transportation, responsibility for missed work and protection of core courses. The two-period elementary/middle and high-school time-equivalent limits are defaults that district policy may change. Credit awards are separate and conditional.
Current law · Ohio statewide law, timeline and comparison. Local unknowns above are not filled by assuming a district adopted the state default verbatim.
Frequently asked questions
Can Westerville students miss a graded class for LifeWise?
The posted policy treats every graded course as core curriculum and prohibits released-time departure from core courses. The school should confirm how a proposed time fits the student’s schedule. Source
How many periods does Westerville allow?
The posted policy allows one period per week for elementary and middle school students. Its high-school allowance is time equivalent to attending one unit of credit per week, not a weekly credit award. Source
Does Policy 5223 mean LifeWise is currently operating?
No. Policy adoption and actual provider attendance are different facts. This review verifies the policy and historical LifeWise reporting, but not a current operating roster. Source
Source and document library
Research baseline: October 7, 2026. Source type and document vintage are shown below. A provider statement, agenda and final adopted policy establish different facts.
- Westerville Policy 5223 — released time
District-linked adopted policy manual. Adopted April 7, 2025; revised September 22, 2025. Live manual text retrieved October 7, 2026; index updated August 24, 2026.
- Westerville Board of Education — policy adoption
Official district policy index. Entry point for current policy and later board actions.
- Westerville religious-release discussion — September 30, 2024
Dated secondary reporting. Documents LifeWise participation before the 2024 policy dispute; used only as historical activity context, never as a 2026 roster or final vote record.
- Ohio Revised Code §3313.6022 — current law
Current Ohio statute. Effective January 19, 2026, HB 57. Divisions A–G verified against the live official code on October 7, 2026.
- Ohio Revised Code §3313.6030 — criminal records checks
Current Ohio statute. Effective April 9, 2025. Permits district policies to require sponsor instructor/volunteer checks and determine their manner.
Update log and next records
Published source-linked findings with separate labels for law, policy, provider agreements, announced launches and activity. Next review: current adopted policy, approved minutes, school consent procedures and confirmation of any operating program.
Updates require a dated source and a stated change in status. No automatic monitoring schedule is active. Submit a documented correction · Editorial standards.
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