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October 26, 2011

AP: Georgia schools see drop in students taking voluntary Bible classes; officials blame budgets

by Dorie Turner
The Associated Press

ATLANTA — In 2006, Georgia became the first state to allow Bible education classes in public schools, after much debate over the sticky issue of separation of church and state. Now the classes are dwindling for a far more tangible reason: money.

Superintendents say interest has waned in the once-controversial classes and schools don't have the money to pay for courses with only a few students enrolled. What's more, budget cuts mean it now takes more students to fill up a class than ever before — some classes need more than 25 enrolled before they are considered affordable.

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