Documentary Explores Effort to Bring Bible Back to Public School Students

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Fathom Events, in partnership with LifeWise Academy, has announced the October 23, 2025, release of “Off School Property: Solving the Separation of Church and State,” a documentary exploring the effort to bring the Bible back to public school students.

Joel Penton, CEO of LifeWise Academy, who founded the group in Ohio, says there’s a “desire” for children to access the Bible during the school day.

“Every day, families are reclaiming the opportunity to incorporate faith into their child’s school day,” Penton said in a press release shared with The Daily Signal. “The desire to give kids something that’s often missing from their education—wisdom, a moral foundation and character building—is gaining tremendous momentum. That’s why states throughout the country are responding to the community-driven movement to incorporate Bible education during school hours by making released time religious instruction available to every child.”

“Off School Property” asks pertinent questions like “Why does it seem that wherever the government is, God can’t be? Why is it that hurting kids can’t turn to the healing power of the Bible during the school day?”

The film, directed by Nate Lundquist, also explores the backstory of how the Bible was once crucial to a public school education: 

For much of American history, the Bible was a foundational text in public education, used for teaching both reading and moral lessons. “Off School Property” explores the removal of the Bible from public schools in the 1960s, the lasting impact that has had on society, and the growing movement to bring Bible education back to the public school day.

The documentary features Dr. George Barna, cultural researcher, founder of the Barna Group; Alisa Childers, Christian apologist and author; Vishal Mangalwadi, Indian philosopher and author; Kelly Shackelford, constitutional scholar, CEO of First Liberty Institute; and John Stonestreet, national speaker and president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

Tickets for “Off School Property” will be available starting Sept. 12 at Fathom Entertainment and participating theatre box offices. A trailer debuted Wednesday on YouTube.

LifeWise Academy, founded in 2019, describes itself as “a nonprofit organization that provides Bible education to public school students during school hours under released time religious instruction laws.” The group also has programs known as Released Time for Religious Instruction. “Hundreds of communities have launched local LifeWise programs through a 10-step process that begins with collecting community signatures at lifewise.org.”

Last month, the organization was awarded the 2025 Heritage Innovation Prize for Empowering Parental Choice. A poll the group conducted earlier this year in partnership with RMG Research showed that 78% of voters support teaching character and moral education to public school students, and 67% support that education being Bible-based so long as it is done legally.

LifeWise efforts include picking students up and busing them to off-campus locations for Bible lessons. Pelton pointed out that it might be surprising, but is legal to do. Certain leftists, such as MSNBC host Alex Wagner, are still not thrilled with efforts to teach the Bible to public school students, despite the benefits.

“Teachers and parents know that behavioral issues disrupt classroom learning, a problem that has become more challenging in recent years,” Pelton said upon receiving the Heritage Innovation Prize. “LifeWise has been an antidote to that issue and has had a transformational impact on kids and families. That’s why there’s been a robust movement across America to incorporate Bible-based character education into the public school day. We’re honored to receive an Innovation Prize and encourage families to visit lifewise.org to find out how they can get involved and start LifeWise chapters in their communities.”

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