LifeWise Academy: Bible-based learning comes legally to public school students

Rockwall, TX (October 20, 2025) – Today, even the best schools face a crisis of mental health concerns, behavior issues, and other challenges, and parents are looking for more help for their youth. These parents, who may have limited resources of time and money, increasingly turn to those same schools, where children spend most of their time, to be the most likely source of support.

But schools face their own constraints of resources – time, funding, and staffing – and even the curriculum options available and the need to meet state academic requirements. The burdens they face are extensive and while schools genuinely desire to see students thrive in all areas of their lives, additional programs may be difficult or impossible to implement effectively.

As parents consider sources for help, many are rediscovering the need for positive reinforcement of values, including biblical principles that offer a model for character and respect. The question is – how to do so when the vast majority of students attend public school?

With the backing of the community, LifeWise Academy seeks to fill that gap in current public-school curriculum.

“Religious liberty is having a moment” says Walt Sosnowski, Rockwall steering committee member, and that moment is finding its way into public schools.

A Foundation of Collaboration and Community Support

At its heart, LifeWise, founded in Ohio in 2018, is an innovative program offering character-based and bible-based instruction legally to students attending public schools.

Introduction into the Rockwall area marks another step in LifeWise’s rapid national expansion – with active locations in thirty-seven states reaching tens of thousands of students across hundreds of schools.

“The recipe for success” says Kevin Monk, member of the Rockwall steering committee, “is a successful partnership between parents, churches, and schools to see the program launch.”

Stemming from community support with key players, LifeWise builds its model around those critical strong partnerships. Once the community has established interest in seeing LifeWise offered, a local steering committee forms to work out details, build partnerships for implementation, and facilitate cooperation with the local school district. LifeWise secures an off-site location near the school where classes are held during non-instruction time (lunches or elective periods), secures staffing, private funding, and provides safe transportation to and from school grounds.

What About Separation of Church & State?

Many people are unaware that bible-based education can legally take place during school hours, provided certain criteria is met.

The Supreme Court ruling removing the bible from public education has misconstrued the actual intent. The earlier 1952 Supreme Court case (Zorach v. Clauson) stands today – and confirmed that religious instruction could be provided if three conditions were met:

1. Instruction is provided off school property.
2. Instruction is privately funded.
3. Instruction is voluntary, with parent/guardian permission required.

Meeting those three conditions remains the bedrock of LifeWise Academy.

Additionally, Texas Senate Bill 1049 signed into law in June 2025, affirms the Supreme Court ruling for Texas public school and charter schools. The bill clarifies that students are to be excused from public school should they choose to attend a “released time course” for religious instruction off campus, provided that a parent or guardian gives written consent. The law permits students to miss up to five hours of school per week for private religious courses and modifies the Texas Education Code to clarify that these excused absences are mandatory.

Curriculum Principles of “Main and Plain”

The LifeWise curriculum is designed to avoid denominational differences by focusing on key biblical values and modeling positive character traits. The lessons emphasize “Head, Heart, and Hands” principles.

1. Head: Learning what the bible says and learning about God.
2. Heart: Understanding a bigger picture including what the stories say about us, each other, and our need for grace.
3. Hands: How to live out the messages and building a desire to model Jesus’ actions.

Interestingly, districts who have collaborated with LifeWise report positive trends with fewer absences and disciplinary incidents.

Off-School Property: Movie premier brings awareness to the LifeWise mission

LifeWise’s documentary, Off-School Property, is set for a national premier in twenty-five major markets on Thursday, October 23. The film presents a brief history of biblical instruction in public schools, how it was later removed, and the impact that has had on society the Supreme Court ruling clarifies the stance of “released time” instruction as legal and constitutional.

Highlighting the program initiative, basic operations, and some of the successes being seen at existing campuses, the documentary is the first large scale LifeWise promotion.

Tickets are on sale for the Cinemark Rockwall showing at 7:00p.m.

Potential Timeframe

Implementing LifeWise Academy is a challenging project but building on that foundation of community support has proven to be successful in communities of all sizes. The Rockwall steering committee hopes to launch the pilot at a Rockwall ISD elementary school in the Spring 2026 semester with a full launch in the Fall of 2026. While programs for middle school and high school ages are available, currently, the Rockwall steering committee is planning to focus on elementary ages in RISD.

Rockwall has the potential to be framework for other communities in the North Texas area to launch their own LifeWise. Community interest has already begun growing in Royse City and other towns and cities in the immediate area are watching Rockwall’s progress.

Want to know more? Attend the trailer next week and visit the LIfeWise site for more information.

Blue Ribbon News Staff Report. Courtesy photos.

  bible lessons, feature, LifeWise Academy, movie premier, off school property, Rockwall, Rockwall ISD