ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The LifeWise Academy program for the St. Clairsville-Richland City School District kicked off Tuesday with its first class.

A customized red school bus, purchased by private donors at an auction, with “LifeWise Academy” printed on the sides pulled up outside of Thoburn United Methodist Church just before noon, the lunch/recess time at the elementary school. Around two dozen second grade students clutching bagged lunches exited the vehicle before filing into the church, ready to start the Bible-based educational program. The academy was allotted a 45-minute period to work with the students, who received parental permission to attend the off-campus class.

Abbey Duplaga, campaign chairperson of the city’s LifeWise Academy, said the classes will continue to take place during the same time period each Tuesday throughout the school year.

“Today’s class will be an introduction — an introduction to what the Bible is, who wrote it, the basics and giving them the background of the program and what they can expect over the next few weeks. They’re going to teach them a few songs and do some activities, as much as we can fit in,” she said.

The students will learn academic and religious teachings from around 12 volunteers, including members of a variety of churches and different denominations in the area.

“We’ve had seven different churches in our area come together to support this. We’re seeing people from across denominational lines and just seeing unity,” Duplaga said.

She said the goal is to teach students about the Bible in hopes of lessening behavioral issues.

“We’re excited. We have 26 kids that the parents signed the permission slips and sent it in. I feel like once the kids go back to school and they’re talking about it amongst their friends that they’ll want to maybe tell their parents, ‘I want to go.’ I feel like it’s going to have so much momentum. God’s really doing some miraculous things the way he’s providing it. We’re excited to see what happens,” she said.

In 2014, the General Assembly approved Ohio House Bill 171, which established that students can be released from public school during non-core class time for religious instruction. That instruction must occur off school property and be privately funded, and participants must have parental permission. The program is responsible for transportation costs and assumes liability for the students while they are off school property. Students must make up any school work that is missed while they take part in the program.

“We’ve worked with the school, they’ve been wonderful, and they figured out a time period of about 45 minutes on Tuesdays during a rotation for the kids, and we’re able to share the Bible with them,” she said.

Duplaga said the second grade class was chosen due to the vast amount of support the program received from those parents. She said organizers are hoping to expand the classes to include both second- and third-graders in the next school year, and eventually all the grades in the school.

Duplaga said security measures are in place at the church during the class, similar to those at the school building, which is locked while the class is underway. She said the only people allowed access are the volunteers, all of whom have undergone a background check.

“Our long-term goal is to have a stand-alone building with a classroom next to the school so the kids can walk off campus and come right into the building. So that’s something we want to raise money for and eventually do,” she said.

Lori Orr, a board member of the LifeWise Academy, said she was excited to see the program get underway.

“We’re uniting as one with God. It’s a blessing, and the children will learn and go home and tell their families of the goodness of God,” she said.

Superintendent Walter Skaggs said the program is not affiliated with the school and is not a school-sponsored program.

“If parents choose to have their child participate, they have to sign them out or fill out a form to do so, and it cannot interfere with any of the core curriculum,” Skaggs said.

Skaggs said the board of education did not approve formation of the academy, as it is an outside-the-classroom program. However, it did approve a Release Time Religious Instruction Policy in 2015, as recommended by the Ohio School Boards Association.

Duplaga said LifeWise organizers have been working with surrounding groups to aid in getting the program approved in school districts throughout the county.

“Union Local has enough people who signed a petition to start it in their area. I know Shadyside just hired their director. Bellaire is now trying to get it done. I think this is something you’re going to see that starts to move throughout the valley to bring transformation to the kids,” she said, adding that 50 signatures are needed to move forward with the program in a district.

The city’s academy board obtained around 200 signatures from community members.

Those interested in volunteering, donating, obtaining additional information or having their children join the academy can visit lifewiseacademy.org/stclairsvilleoh.