Backdoor to religious instruction in WA schools being exploited | Opinion

Last year, my wife and I uprooted our family from Florida and moved to Gig Harbor. We didn’t move for the scenery; we moved because we watched the systematic dismantling of Florida’s public schools. What began as “parental choice” ended with extremist groups like Moms for Liberty taking over school boards, banning books and restricting basic student access to libraries and nurses.

I’ve seen this future, and I see it beginning here in the Peninsula School District (PSD).

Our district “quietly” allows Released Time for Religious Instruction (RTRI). While based on a 1952 court ruling, it is now being weaponized by well-funded organizations like LifeWise Academy. To a first-grader, the flashy red LifeWise bus and the promise of snacks looks like a fun way to “skip school.”

I recognize these tactics because I used to lead them. I grew up a Southern Baptist evangelical. I’ve led church youth groups. I’ve led modern worship services. I won “Bible Drill” (if you know, you know) at my church more times than I can count. I’ve led mission trips in cities all over the U.S. and overseas. I know how the game is played, because I’ve played it.

We targeted children. Specifically, we targeted children when parents weren’t around, using fun and entertainment to draw them in. Today, LifeWise uses that same “fun” to introduce a curriculum that explicitly tells children that LGBTQ+ identities are a “rejection of God” and that non-traditional families are “sinful.”

This isn’t a “live and let live” scenario. These organizations don’t “fizzle” — they litigate. Just last month, on April 24, even after Everett School District granted LifeWise Academy access to their schools, a federal court issued a preliminary injunction against the District, forcing them to allow LifeWise to advertise on school grounds and modify safety policies for their students. This is the strategy: demand entry, then sue for unfettered access.

Furthermore, RTRI laws are religion-neutral. The Satanic Temple has already launched its “Hellion Academy of Independent Learning” (HAIL) to utilize these same rules. If PSD allows LifeWise to operate, we are legally barred from saying no to HAIL or any other group. Is the district prepared for the administrative and legal chaos this invites?

Many neighbors may feel this is harmless, but in Florida, I saw how quickly “choice” becomes a foothold for a far-right takeover. We have a short window to address this through local policy before it becomes a permanent, litigious fixture in Gig Harbor.

I urge the PSD Board to stop being unwitting participants in this national machine. We need a formal review of RTRI policies immediately. Let’s protect the integrity of our school day and keep religious instruction where it belongs: in our homes and our churches.

Michael Wright is a Gig Harbor resident and father of two elementary students in the Peninsula School District. He brings over 25 years of experience in strategic leadership and a personal background in evangelical ministry to his advocacy for public school integrity.