District considers Bible class

The Bible could be coming to public high schools in the Valley.

A group of Mat-Su residents, including several pastors, recently recommended to the Mat-Su School Board that a Bible class be added as an elective in local high schools.

The speakers emphasized that the curriculum they are proposing focuses on the religious book within the context of history, art, literature, music and social studies and is not meant to indoctrinate students. At the same time, they told the board that such a class could help stop the "increasing instability" in American society.

"Many people do not realize the Bible can be taught in public schools … and it needs to be taught," said Sylvia Wolf, who brought copies of a specific Bible curriculum to the school board. The lifelong Valley resident said growing violence and drug use and plummeting scores on educational exams are examples of how American society is deteriorating and that providing local students with the opportunity to learn about the Bible could turn this trend around.

"I think it will affect our community, our society and individual students," she said. "The kids get excited about it and they go home and talk about it … It affects how they think, how they live and how they view their history."

Wolf told the board that the curriculum she proposes has been in public schools for 30 years and passed a challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court.

While the course was not an item on that evening's school board agenda, the majority of the board appeared to be at least interested and some were enthusiastic in their endorsement of the plan.

"I do support the Bible course," member Linda Menard said. She emphasized that the class would be an elective. "I hope no one perceives it as shoving religion down someone's throat," she said.

Member Rob Wells recalled taking a "Bible as literature" course during his educational career and described it as "totally acceptable."

"I don't see it as out of the norm," he said.

Fellow board member Carl Gatto said he felt the proposal would be well received in the Mat-Su.

"There would be almost no objections and there would be lots of support," Gatto said.

Wolf said she has so far gathered more than 2,000 signatures from Valley residents who are interested in seeing the class offered. Among those supporters is Valley pastor Paul Riley.

"I'm here to say 'Amen' to what was already said," Riley told the board. He said the class would not set out to legislate morals but instead would provide information on a book he described as a foundation stone of American society.

Valley resident Clovis Marechal said the Bible is a historical and cultural tool. Quoting Biblical references used by Patrick Henry and Martin Luther King Jr., Marechal said students need to study the Bible in order to understand the minds of "the great men of old."

"To rob our youth of such a fundamental document … I think in doing so we severely handicap their potential," Marechal told the school board.

While there was no voice of opposition at last week's school board meeting, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction George Troxel admitted this week that some Valley residents may initially have some concerns about a Bible class in public schools. He added, though, that those concerns can be addressed by the process already in place for selecting new curriculums.

First, the proposed Bible curriculum will go before a review committee made up of five Mat-Su teachers. After that, the course is reviewed by central administration and a districtwide council made up of teachers, parents and community members. Final approval is left to the superintendent and school board.

During the process, Troxel said, the committees and administrators would expand their research beyond the specific curriculum recommended by the group of Valley residents and they would look at a number of publishers and different options in order to find the curriculum they feel best fits the needs of local students.

Choosing a curriculum is just the first of many steps in adding a new class, however. Funding would have to be identified and the administration and school board would have to decide if the class would be offered in all high schools or start out just as a pilot program in a single school.

The National Standards for History calls for 17 percent of world history to focus on religion. Mat-Su schools do touch on religious issues, but not to that extent, Troxel said.

"It's something we're sort of lacking in this school district," Troxel said. "It is important for students to have an awareness of what role religion plays in the world."

Troxel said the district's correspondence school currently offers a "Bible and literature" course, but he said it has not been extremely popular. He predicts, however, that it could become more popular if offered in the regular high school program.

Troxel said it is possible a Bible class could make its way into public high schools in the Valley within the next year or so.