Getting Your Church Involved with the School Next Door

I fear that concerns over the “Separation of Church and State,” as well as increasing pressures from groups like the ACLU, have kept many churches at bay in reaching out to and partnering with their local schools.

Thankfully, our Constitution still allows people of faith to influence and shape our government and our communities. There are, of course, some parameters that limit what activities may be done on a school property and/or anything that misuses school funds or resources. However, the premise of separation of church and state (SOCAS) is not intended, nor does it have the legal power, to EXCLUDE churches from the right and opportunity to collaborate with schools. SOCAS allows for the freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion. Therefore, there isn’t a need to cry out “Separation of Church and State!” as an excuse for stalling.

Jeremy Kiner

In fact, over the past 5 years of working with the schools and serving on a number of their committees, I have experienced nothing but an openness toward the faith-based community coming from the Parma City School District. On many occasions, there has been an expressed interest and desire to build bridges and collaborate with the local churches toward common goals, such as helping students develop character-building skills and achieve academic and personal success.

The ball, really, is in the churches’ court right now.

In Parma, Parma Heights, and Seven Hills there are just under 60 churches.  There are also 14 schools in the Parma City School District.  According to the map below, you can see that this breaks down to an average of 12 churches residing within a 3 mile radius of each school.

There is, indeed, opportunity to do a lot of good.  The question is how are we maximizing our influence with the schools that we neighbor? Do they know that your church even exists?  Do they hear your voice or feel your presence?  Can we cover these schools in prayer?

Click on an icon to see name and address of church/school. = Churches = Schools

If you are looking to develop a stronger partnership with a school or schools near your church, here are a number of ways to begin establishing your presence:

• Provide donations or support to an identified need within the district. Click here to review the list of needs posted by schools and departments that serve the students of PCSD: List of Needs – January 2015
• Attend a Community/Business/Schools Partners meeting. C/B/S is a collaboration designed to promote business and community involvement with the students of PCSD. The next meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2015 at Broadview Multi-Care, 5520 Broadview Rd., Parma. There is no cost to attend.
• Volunteer time for Project MORE. This program is a one-to-one mentoring reading program. Currently, there is still a need for volunteers to serve for 1 hour per week. If interested, please contact Kira Karabanovs at karabanovsk@parmacityschools.org.
• Attend a Parma Area Family Collaborative (PAFC) monthly meeting. Under the umbrella of the PCSD, the PAFC develops partnerships with a network of community organizations that provide various programs and services designed to assist students and families. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 26, 2015 at Parma Heights Baptist Church, 8971 W. Ridgewood Dr., Parma. There is no cost to attend.
• Attend an Open Door Session with Dr. Jeff Graham. Stop in to speak with Dr. Jeffrey Graham about your questions or concerns regarding your Parma City School District. No appointment is necessary. All Open Door sessions are held in the Superintendent’s Conference Room from 4:00-5:30 p.m. The next Open Door Session is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3.
• Attend a District Dialogue event with Dr. Jeff Graham. These neighborhood meetings occur at various locations throughout the year to invite conversation with community members about what’s happening in their schools. All are invited to attend. Sessions are held from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. The next event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 3 at St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, 5913 State Rd., Parma.

Want more info?  Please contact me at jeremy@comamb.org.