Written by Don Byrd
After fending off lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of its tax incentives, the creationist-themed Ark Encounter theme park has opened to the public. Those concerned about its potential church-state impacts haven’t given up, however. Warning letters from separation advocate Freedom From Religion Foundation went out to “more than 1,000 school districts in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia warning against organizing trips to the Ark,” according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
The state, for its part, responded with a reminder that field trips should always have a curricular connection.
Kentucky Education Commissioner Stephen Pruitt sent a message to school districts late Monday saying that neither outside groups nor the Kentucky Department of Education should dictate field trip selection. But, he wrote, “it is important to remind educators that at all times and under all circumstances, field trips should be a direct extension of classroom learning. As a result, all off-site trips should be directly related to the school curriculum and should seek to maximize student learning by enhancing the classroom experience.”
