Barrow County school board to vote on Bible classes

WINDER - The Barrow County school board is expected to vote this week on whether to support Bible-based classes in the district's schools.

Board member Larry Ballard says he wants to pass a resolution Tuesday night letting teachers and principals know the board would support them if they decided to offer state-approved curriculum on Biblical history and literature.

Georgia became the first state in the country in 2007 to allow Bible classes as electives in public schools. But many districts have shied from offering the courses out of fear of lawsuits and lack of interest among students.

In the first year they were allowed, 37 of the Georgia's 440 high schools offered Bible as an elective. The state won't have numbers for this school year until June.