KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Leaders with Knox County Schools voted Thursday to let high school students receive graduation credit for attending and passing off-campus religious classes during school hours.
The requirements for receiving the credit include the class being offered during school hours within a class schedule, certified teachers leading it and approval from the KCS school board.
"The school board would not be approving the content of the class," said Susan Horn, a KCSO board member. "That's the purpose and the entity having the class off-site."
A 1952 Supreme Court ruling, Zorach v. Clauson, upheld a New York City school's "released time" policy which allowed students to leave classes during school hours for religious instruction.
Tennessee state law allows schools here to do the same.
On Thursday, the KCS Board interpreted the policy to allow students to receive one credit towards their GPA for every released class they took.
Monday, school board members raised concerns about how many class credits could be offered during their high school years, and if it should count towards their GPA rather than a pass/fail course that counts toward graduation.
"This is allowed under the law," said Horn. "it's part of what I feel like is a parent's choice and how to direct the education for their students."
To keep the separation of church and state, no tax dollars can go towards this religious instruction. Students and teachers are responsible for transportation to and from these courses.
"Knox County is a large county with a number of high schools and you have to be in class for a particular number of minutes each class session," said Don Bosch, legal analyst.
Bosch also says allowing off-campus instruction could be a slippery slope.
"What happens when the Pride Center at the University of Tennessee wants to offer, should they, a class about LGBTQ+ studies?" Bosch said. "What happens if libraries offer a class on the banned books of the 21st century?"