Tennessee school district receives $1.8 million gift for teaching Bible classes

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Tennessee’s largest public school district has been given a $1.8 million gift as reimbursement for teaching elective Bible history classes to over 4,500 students in the 2020-21 academic year, Christian Headlines (CH) reports. The gift was given by the Bible in the Schools non-profit organization to Hamilton County Schools in Chattanooga last month.

The gifting by Bible in the Schools is a result of its partnership with the Hamilton County school district which began in 1922, CH reports. The partnership allows the district to teach Bible courses from a neutral, historical, non-sectarian perspective. Examining Scripture, the Bible courses are designed to align with constitutional restrictions, and no tax funding is involved.

After a record 4,500 students enrolled for the Bible courses, a statement, the superintendent of Hamilton County Schools Bryan Johnson, said in a statement it was an “honor” for the school district to accept the gift again.

“This gift sponsors the education of thousands of public school students in our district,” Johnson said. “The countywide Bible History elective program encourages students in grades 6-12 to recognize the rich cultural connections between an ancient text and our modern world. Hamilton County seeks to graduate students who are future-ready and prepared for success in college and career.”

According to the Bible in the Schools, other school districts could implement a similar Bible program. “It is constitutionally permissible to teach Bible History from a historical or literature perspective,” the organization’s website says.

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