Ohio may OK public school religion credits
Public high schools would hold classes off-campus
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John Lowder, a missionary in Corbin, Ky, guides a religious class on the converted bus during the school day. Public school students are allowed 'release time' to learn about their faith away from school. / PROVIDED
Members of the Ohio House are considering a bipartisan bill that would allow public high schools to give students credit toward graduation for religious courses taken during school hours but away from public school.
If the bill becomes law, Ohio would be the only state other than South Carolina offering school credit for outside religious classes. Democratic and Republican bill sponsors say they want to encourage teenagers to take religious classes.
“It’s an attempt to reinstall some of the same things that made this country great,” said Rep. Bill Patmon, a Democrat from Cleveland who is one of the bill’s two main sponsors.