Concerned with the issue of separation of church and state, the board debated Woodward's proposal at length before it voted unanimously in her favor on Wednesday.
Keith Parent, high school principal, said both he and Woodward researched the legality of her project and found it to be within the parameters of federal law. Because the Bible study will be held after school on a voluntary basis, Parent said it would be permitted in the same vein that other community groups use school facilities for outside activities.
"We're on very solid ground," Parent said. "I see the project as more about teaching and learning. This fits the mold of the senior project very well."
As part of its approval, the board asked that interested students get parental permission before attending the Bible studies. The class also must be supervised by an adult.
Woodward told the board that if she is not permitted to use the school, several community members have offered venues for her use.
The board, however, seemed less concerned about the use of school facilities than about the project itself. Jean Tremblay said that because the Bible study is tied to a senior project, it could present a thorny legal issue for the school.
Chairwoman Leona Guay was concerned with the precedent it would set, stating it would force the school district to recognize all faiths, including what she deemed "darker" religions like Wicca.
Superintendent Patrick Low said approving the project should mainly be seen as a benefit to the student. "The more interests we can support, the more it will make us a stronger, richer school community," he said.
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