LifeWise reports rapid local growth in release‑time pilot; asks board to support planned expansion

Tracy Bachenhaster, director of the LifeWise program in Pickerington, presented a first‑year update on the district’s release‑time partnership. LifeWise is a privately funded, off‑campus release‑time program that operates during the school day for students whose parents sign them up.

Bachenhaster said the program required three adults in each classroom and full background checks for staff. The pilot ran at four elementary schools in 2025–26 with third and fourth graders; enrollment grew from about 17 early in the year to 94 participants by year‑end. She reported student survey responses (a subset of participants) showing high self‑reported gains in faith and decision‑making and parent surveys with strong recommendation rates.

Bachenhaster outlined safety protocols (FBI/BCI background checks, locked host facilities, chaperoned school visits) and described how LifeWise works operationally (students ride a bus to a church host site for 45 minutes during lunch/recess, receive character development programming rooted in Bible teaching, and return to school). She said LifeWise aims to expand to include second grade in the spring and fifth grade at two middle schools, and set enrollment goals of 50–100 students per building over time.

Board President Kathy Schevsky noted the program is a form of release‑time religious instruction and said the district is following the law on such programs; she thanked LifeWise for the update. Tracy invited board members to visit program classrooms by scheduling with her staff.

What was not claimed: presenters framed LifeWise as privately funded and off school property; no district‑funded religious instruction was proposed.

Quote: “We started with 17 kids and we ended the year with 94 kiddos going through our program, which was pretty awesome,” Tracy said.