CHATTANOOGA, TN / ACCESS Newswire / September 1, 2026 / On July 31, 2026, local 501(c)(3), Bible in the Schools, gave a significant community contribution of $2,951,554.62 to Hamilton County Schools as a gift for Bible education in 35 public schools.
Established in 1922, by Co-Founder of Chattanooga's McCallie School, Dr. J.P. McCallie, Public School Bible Study Committee (doing business as Bible in the Schools), is one of the area's longstanding nonprofit organizations whose mission is to advance Bible education for students in Hamilton County's public schools. The community gift marked the 105th year of the organization's dedication to providing interested public school students with access to on-campus, academic Bible education. Adhering to an opt-in requirement, 5,200 students completed a Bible course in the 2025-2026 school year, with 60% of the county's Senior Class indicating that they took at least one Bible course during their school career.
Mr. Rob Huffaker, Chairman of the Board of Bible in the Schools, along with Ms. Cathy Scott, President of Bible in the Schools, had the honor of presenting the $3M community gift on behalf of the organization and its donors. The gift was received by the Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools, Dr. Justin Robertson (recently named Southeast Tennessee Superintendent of the Year), and senior leadership. Also representing Bible in the Schools was Mr. David Sternberg, Chief Operations Officer.
The community gift annually reimburses the public school district for expenses for the Bible education program, which was offered in the 2025-2026 academic year in 35 participating public and charter schools. The Bible education program is funded and has been sustained for over a century by private donations. The $3 million gift includes three part-time to full-time Bible program expansions, and the launch of a new Bible program at Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences' Middle School.
The Bible program, made possible through the collaboration between Bible in the Schools and Hamilton County Schools, emphasizes critical thinking skills and encourages students to explore the literary, historical, and cultural aspects of the Bible. Bible courses align with the Tennessee State Academic Standards for Bible, and local dual college credit is available for high school Bible courses.
Ms. Scott said, "We are honored to present this community gift for public school Bible education, made possible by the generosity of thousands of dedicated partners who desire to keep Bible education as an option for interested students in our public schools. These academically rigorous courses actively engage students by enhancing literacy, fostering higher-level critical thinking, and instilling virtues that promote principled living and responsible citizenship. We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone whose gracious contributions continue to sustain this worthy program."
Expressing gratitude to the school district's oldest community partner, Dr. Robertson stated, "We are grateful for the investment our community is making in students through Bible in the Schools. Bible in the Schools provides important funding to enhance our curriculum by providing students with optional Bible courses that foster unique educational experiences, encourage academic growth, and deepen cultural understanding. This generous contribution allows us to further invest in our work to ensure students are culturally aware and community involved as a part of our portrait of a graduate."
The Hamilton County-based program houses the largest concentration of public school students in any one school district in the nation electively studying the Bible in the classroom. Dedicated community generosity has doubled the program in the last ten years, from 18 to 35 participating public schools, providing 91% of all 6-12 students access to a free, for-credit Bible education.
Bible in the Schools is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting biblical literacy among public school students. Bible classes follow guidelines established by a 1980 federal court ruling, which affirmed that the teaching of for-credit elective Bible classes in Hamilton County's public middle and high schools is constitutionally permissible. To learn more about Bible in the Schools, or to donate to this program, please visit bibleintheschools.com.
Pictured L-R: Dr. Jamie Parris, HCS Director of Professional Learning and Extended Core; Dr. Blake Freeman, HCS Chief Academic Officer; Ms. Cathy Scott, Bible in the Schools' President; Dr. Justin Robertson, HCS Superintendent; Mr. Rob Huffaker, Bible in the Schools' Board Chairman; Mr. David Sternberg, Bible in the Schools' Chief Operations Officer. Photo Credit: Kyle Richard, Hamilton County Schools
Contact:
(423) 648-0500
officeadmin@bibleintheschools.com
SOURCE: Bible in the Schools
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire