To the Member of the Richland 2 Community,

This letter comes after much conversation and deep concern over the issue of Released Time
Bible Education. We first learned of this program that is directed by a segment of the
Presbyterian Church at a NERMA meeting at Polo Road Elementary in January, 2016. At that
meeting and the subsequent meeting in March, it was explained that this Religious Release Time
program, is specifically aimed at Public School children. We learned that the program would
take place during the hours that school is in session, and that it would be held in a church facility
that would require bussing students to and from the location.
We strongly object to the notion that the Richland County Public School System would adopt a
program that defines children along the lines of religious belief, values, and tenets. When a
parent opts to have their child educated in the public school system they have made a deliberate
choice to place their offspring in a safe and nurturing environment where they will study, learn,
and play as well as have every opportunity to integrate equally with all members of their
community regardless of the color of their skin, their religious practice, their socio-economic
class, or their ethnicity. The very mission of the public school in the United States has always
been to provide our children with equal opportunities regardless of race, creed, or religion.
Public Schools have always been and should always continue to be able to provide a place of
safety and inclusion for our youngest and most vulnerable of citizens. Side by side children from
all different backgrounds have, as is stated in the Mission Statement from the Richland 2 School
District: been prepared for success by meaningful, challenging, and engaging learning
experiences. We know that our childrens accomplishments are influenced by many things
including: home-life, academic acumen, athletic proclivity, and musical ability. We also are
aware how much public education plays a role in identifying and sharpening these skill-sets.
However, most importantly, our public school system builds confidence, self-esteem, and
character - engaging our youth to be productive citizens and to stand tall as the next and greatest
generation. It does this by introducing each and every one of our children to each other not
only as classmates, but as equals be they Jew, or Gentile, Christian, Muslim or Hindu - black,
white, yellow or brown, or male or female.
We ask that you not sully this mission. Adopting the release time program will at the very least
create an environment of pressure for our families, alienation and an atmosphere of distrust for
the very people and institutions, we should be able to trust. For our children, the prospect of
being challenged or bullied for attending, or not attending, believing, or not believing is so
horrific a thoughtwe cannot fathom that any teacher or administrator in any school district,
especially one as diverse and exceptional as Richland 2 would want to entertain any act that
would isolate, confuse, or cause insecurity in a child, and or within that childs family.
Equally alarming is the construct that Richland 2 feels the need to open their doors and give
treasured time away with their students to a church. As citizens of this great country, we all
know that we have the option of a parochial or charter school, home-schooled or public for our
children. All are meaningful choices but they are mutually exclusive. In terms of Public
Education that is taxpayer funded - we do not take children from parochial school and bring
them to public school and we must not do the reverse, have public school time turn into religious
school time.

It has been stated that this program has evangelical aims (Churches want to.reach children
who never set foot in church.). This is a direct affront to the platform on which this country
was founded. Thomas Jefferson recorded in our Constitution, "Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment of religion While Released Time may not violate the words it
most seriously violates the moral intent of the Founding Fathers.
Let it be acknowledged that Released Time creates unnecessary, unwanted and harmful barriers
between our children. Such a program will marginalize whole communities of both color and
religion. The potential negative behavioral, academic, and emotional fallout of children who are
separated because of their ethnicity and religion is known all too well in history. In 2016, as an
educated, sensitive, and responsive society we know quite well how people, almost unknowingly
and innocently are capable of sorting themselves into groups, each one avowing they are superior
to the next. The Release Time Program will serve to underscore feelings of insecurity for some,
superiority of others and separation by all. Every church, synagogue and mosque runs religious
programming for their adherents. Many days of the week, we might add - and it is the
responsibility and option of parents and guardians to bring their children to these houses of
worship - to study and be guided in their religious journey that is specific to them.

If the claims that we heard from the advocates of Released Time are true, namely that they can
better educate, motivate and make better public citizens out of the students (Released Time
program do better academically and have fewer behavioral problems.), what does that say about
our public school system? That it is inferior? We refuse to believe that it is true. However, if
our teachers and our administrations are inadequately equipped, then we need to find ways of
improving the staff of our public schools, supporting our teachers and administrations in their
mission and not removing students from them! As part of the NERMA community, we are here
to support the public school system, nurture its students, families, and employees and help it
grow. Perhaps a viable option would be to bring to our schools inspirational, uplifting,
reachable, and obtainable community education and programming: through the presentations and
support of community activists, leaders and educators, as well as entrepreneurial and social
justice role models from our area. These would be individuals who reflect the character
education and hope that the Richland 2 foundational 4-Square model of excellence promotes.
This outreach would go a long way in navigating and addressing the emotional, psychological,
and confidence instilling needs of our students and our families.
Release Time compromises the excellent work that is done by so many to further the goodness
and beauty of public education in the United States of America. We urge the governing boards
of the Richland 2 School system to uphold the values that makes America great.