Signatures
300
People who signed Lifewise's petition
State Law
Ohio is a
"Shall" state
Active Schools
Lifewise Enrollment
| Location Map | Chillicothe, OH 45601 Ross County |
| Lifewise Local Program Website | Link (opens in a new tab) |
| District Poverty Rate | 12.2% (data source) |
| Non-White Students | 6.2% (data source) |
| NCES Link | NCES District Info |
| Last Updated | December 2, 2025 |
What Can My School District Do?
All school districts, regardless of whether they are required by law to allow released time, should implement good policy and be prepared for when a released time program may approach the district. The time to set the policy is before an active program is pressuring the district. Research polices the district can implement to protect teachers' and students' instruction time. Set polices that limit disruptions to students and the ability for proselytization to occur, impacting other students of faith or no faith. A more detailed write-up on school board policies can be read here.
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Schools in the District (4)
| School | Grades | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Pickaway-Ross Career & Technology Center | 11th, 12th | |
| Zane Trace Elementary School | 4th | |
| Zane Trace Middle School | 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th | |
| Zane Trace High School | ||
State Law and School Board Policy
| School District Policy | The policy has extra requirements that go beyond the state/federal requirements. |
| Policy Link | https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/ztloh/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=DABQM367DA09 |
| Policy Notes | The policy states, "The Board of Education may permit students participating in religious instruction access to an early or late bus route." This is a before and after-school Lifewise program. Lifewise claims not to allow before or after-school programs. |
| Ohio State Law | Schools are required to allow students to be released for religious programs. This does not mean schools do not have the ability to create policies that protect the school's instruction time. |
| State Law Link | https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-3313.6022 |
| Law Notes | Ohio's legislature recently passed legislation to allow school districts to pass polices and have no limits on the number of hours students can miss for released time. Waiting on the governor's signature. |
Local Personel
Download All Lifewise Personel List
| Title | Name | Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Debra Geno | debrageno@lifewise.org | Yes |
| Teacher | John Hutton | Yes | |
| Teacher | Melissa Hutton | Yes | |
| Teacher | Stephanie Clemmons | Yes |
Launch Steps History
Step
Description
Signatures
Date
Step 10
Open for Enrollment
300
February 2, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
217
July 17, 2024
Step 8
Train Your Team
0
June 19, 2024
Step 7
Recruit Your Team
0
May 4, 2024
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
137
May 2, 2024
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
136
April 25, 2024
Step 5
Draft a Plan
101
April 4, 2024
Step 5
Draft a Plan
100
March 29, 2024
Step 5
Draft a Plan
99
March 25, 2024
Enrollment Data
| School Enrollment | Lifewise Enrollment | % | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| No enrollment information | |||
Lifewise enrollment numbers come from social media, newsletters, press, and public record requests. Contact RPS with enrollment numbers.
Associated Organizations
| Org Type | Org Name | Address | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit churches, businesses and non-profits that support Lifewise. | ||||
