East Mills Enters Partnership To Offer Religious Education To First, Second Graders

The East Mills Community School District is partnering with LifeWise Academy to offer religious-based education classes to first and second graders this fall.

The partnership is among dozens ramping up in the state this year following Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signing of House File 870 into law in June. Under that statute, public school students can attend private religious instruction during the school day for up to five hours per week. The so-called “religious release time” law allows students to access any form of religious course as long as the class meets off-campus and is hosted by a private organization.

According to the LifeWise website, the group has or is in the process of setting up as many as 70 similar partnerships with Iowa school districts. East Mills is believed to be the first in southwest Iowa.

East Mills Elementary School Principal Melissa Nielsen said the intention with starting with first and second graders is to build the program up year by year with the same pool of students, adding a grade each year.

East Mills’ enrollees will attend classes on Wednesdays at the Malvern Public Library during lunch. LifeWise has contracted with the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) to provide transportation.

“They’ll eat their lunch down there and take part in the religious classes,” Nielsen said. “They will miss recess, but their parents are aware, and they have signed off on that.”
At the time of the interview with Nielsen, six students were enrolled from East Mills. There is no cost to schools or participating families. Signup is handled through LifeWise, an arm of Stand for Truth, an event-based nonprofit ministry based in Hilliard, Ohio.

The group hosted a community sign-up event Aug. 9 in Malvern’s Boehner Park and also had representatives on hand at the district’s Back to School event Thursday, Aug. 21.

In a June press release, Mini Walker, LifeWise’s Malvern Director, offered thanks to the district and the community.

“We look forward to seeing how this program will impact our students and unite the East Mills community,” Walker said in the release. “Our community has already come together to make this possible and we’re confident this collaboration will continue as the program grows.”

The program itself is largely volunteer staffed with LifeWise providing all the training and resources needed to launch the program. The courses will focus on “character development and mental health and supporting educators’ efforts in building strong students.” Each lesson will relate to a Bible passage to a relevant character trait that students are encouraged to practice in their families and communities.

Nielsen had not seen the LifeWise curriculum, nor had she met any of the volunteer instructors and while she has yet to speak to any parents about the program, she has noticed interest on social media.

“It’s another opportunity for something for the kids to do and it’s something the school is working with to provide,” she said. “That has people excited.”

East Mills classes began Aug. 25 in Malvern. Nielsen said LifeWise classes will likely begin next week.

Glenwood Community School District Superintendent Nicole Kooiker and Fremont-Mills Community School District Superintendent Dave Gute said there are no plans currently to offer LifeWise courses in their districts.