MONTAGUE — During Monday's Montague school board meeting, several citizens lodged concerns with a proposed school-hours Bible study program that has recently been launching chapters nationwide and is pursuing one in Montague. The program recently launched at Reeths-Puffer, with that district fielding similar comments at its April board meeting.
LifeWise Academy is a nationwide program founded in 2018 that shuttles public school students off campus for Bible study during school hours. The academy, which operates under a franchise model, is legally allowed to do so under the terms of a 1952 Supreme Court ruling, Zorach v. Clauson, that allows public school students, with parental permission, to have release time for religious instruction during school hours if the instruction is privately funded and not on campus.
The LifeWise website currently has a page proposing a chapter in Montague, outlining a 10-step program which, as of Wednesday, was at step 6 - to obtain school approval.
Citizens spoke to the board during public comment, requesting the board impose certain limitations if they approve LifeWise to operate in the district, such as forbidding the sale of merchandise or adopting a neutral policy on in-school release programs. LifeWise approval was not on the agenda and no action was taken on the matter.
Many comments noted the academy's legal ability to operate in the district, but also shared concerns that participation in the program would lead to the creation of "in-groups" and "out-groups" within the school based on who attends the meetings and who does not.
Mitch Coleman, a former teacher and Montague alum who said he has a grandchild attending Montague, shared those concerns, saying he did not want children to be ostracized based on their religious views or participation.
"LifeWise is like a virus...Once you infect the host, it becomes hard to get rid of," Coleman said.
Following public comment, normal board business resumed with the presentation of a budget amendment by district business manager Stacey Brown. Brown said the projected fund balance for 2025-26 has improved from its outlook when the original budget was presented last summer and even since the first budget amendment earlier this school year, due to increases in grant funding. Expenditures did go up $200,000 due to required matching funds to receive those grants.
Brown added that the district plans to purchase two used school buses between now and the start of next school year; one each will be applied to this year's and next year's budget. She added that the district usually plans to purchase one bus per year as vehicles age and need to be replaced.
Brown also shared district uses of the sinking fund for this year. The fund, which sits at about $740,000 and is slated to expire at the end of the 2028-29 school year, was utilized this year for a roof replacement at the middle school gym and fire suppression system upgrades at the district's three oldest buildings. In the near future, she anticipates needing to use sinking fund money for other building roofs as well as the elevator at Oehrli Elementary School.
The board unanimously approved the budget amendment, and superintendent Jeffrey Johnson said he's aware that the current fund balance of over 10% is not sustainable and the district will examine ways to limit that in future years.
The board unanimously authorized a $52,542 purchase of copier machines from Marco Technologies. Johnson said it is common practice for the district to evaluate and potentially replace copier machines every five years and noted that Marco's bid was easily the lowest among the 11 bids received, with the district vetting the bid to ensure its legitimacy. The low bid, Johnson said, was due to a high volume of contracts the company has in the state, enabling it to secure bulk savings and pass those along to customers.
