The Bible comes to county classrooms

Beginning next fall, county high school students will have the option of studying the best selling book of all time: the Bible. The Chesterfield School Board voted unanimously last week to approve the new elective course.

“In August and September [this year] high school principals were surveyed to determine an interest in offering a new one-semester elective course for the 2010-11 school year on the Bible,” Dr. Dale Kalkofen, assistant superintendent for instructional support, told school board members last week. “Results of that survey indicated there was some interest in offering the course.”

Administrators are now tasked with training existing teaching staff and selecting a legally and academically approved curriculum and textbook. The course will be taught by English or social studies teachers who are “willing to participate in training and capable of teaching the course in a manner that is legally and academically acceptable,” reads a report to the school board.

“There are several available curriculums,” said Tim Bullis, the school system’s director of community relations. “Now that the board has approved the course, we’ll begin to look at curriculum development and what is best for Chesterfield.”

School systems can offer courses in religion, but it’s illegal for teachers to prophesize and express their own personal religious beliefs in the classroom. Courses must be taught from a purely academic standpoint and usually mirror similar classes offered at the college level.

The availability of the Bible course at each high school will also be dependent upon sufficient student enrollment and funding. At least 15 students will have to sign up at each school for the course to be offered, and principals will have to pay for it using their existing allocation for teaching staff. The school system would cover the cost of textbooks, teacher training and additional curriculum resources.

Last fall, the school system began offering a one-semester comparative religion elective course at Cosby, Clover Hill and Matoaca high schools. That course has since been phased out at Clover Hill and Matoaca, but is still available at Cosby.

Thomas Dale gym naming

The school board is seeking public comment on the idea of naming Thomas Dale High School’s gym after long-time basketball coach and teacher Thomas J. Davies. The community is invited to provide input on the proposed naming by e-mailing ccpsinfo@ ccpsnet.net.