VAIL, Ariz. (KGUN) — We recently shared a story about the Vail school board approving a seminary building for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Cienega High School's campus. Dozens of community members continue to express their thoughts about this.
One student shared his excitement for the building and how he thinks this will benefit him.
Jackson Korth is a freshman at Cienega with a busy schedule because of extracurricular activities.
"I'm super excited that we have released-time now," said Korth.
Released-time is when a student takes seminary instead of an elective class. Right now, the closest seminary for Korth is about half an hour away. He attends seminary for an hour before school starts.
"So, I usually go to bed around 11 o'clock and so then, I have to wake up at 5 a.m. every morning to go to seminary and it's super tiring. That plus school and like homework, it's definitely a hassle," Korth said.
Many Vail neighbors say they're concerned about the separation of church and state with the seminary being on campus. Vail Unified School District's director of communications, Darcy Mentone, says it's the students' choice to participate.
Korth's mom said seminaries were a positive part of her life.
"I am thrilled," she said." This is something I've hoped for, for a long time. Actually, I grew up in a place that had released-time seminary. So, to have my kids have that option, knowing that they'll be driving less in the morning with all the other high schools driving, because they have to drive about 15 minutes both ways to and from seminary every morning, that just relieves my mom-heart a whole lot, knowing that they'll be safer."
While the Korth family is excited for the new addition, others are not. One Vail local, Geraldine Kleber, has two kids attending Cienega. She says the district did not inform parents about the seminary until a few weeks ago.
Kleber sent a statement that reads:
We have lived in Vail since December of 2019, and have two children currently attending Cienega High School.
The Vail School District would be allowing religious classes to be taught on a public school campus by unvetted persons during the school instructional day. The lease states that the building will be in use from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., 12 hours a day, by CHS, according to the donation and lease agreement that was approved on March 25, 2025. This building does not and will not alleviate any overcrowding in the district and will only benefit a very small amount of students, as they would be the only ones allowed to use this building, from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m., which is during school instructional hours.
In the 1948 case McCollum v. Board of Education [oyez.org], the court established that religious groups CANNOT teach religious classes inside public schools. In 1952 Supreme Court ruled in Zorach vs. Clauson that release time for religious instruction did not violate the constitution as long as the classes were held OFF of the school site. Our Arizona Revised Statutes echos this sentiment by stating in ARS 15-806 that “Any religious instruction or exercise takes place at a suitable place away from school property.”
This building, wanting to be built on tax payer funded school property, which according to Darcy Mentone has been in the works for thirteen years, yet VUSD parents and community members were never informed of this until March 11th, 2025 during a school board meeting, when most parents were not in town as it was held during spring break for the district, will violate the law if used during instruction time to teach religion.
This is not a club, as Ms. Mentone stated in her interview. It will not be student led. Instruction will be done by a non student teacher. As stated by Natalie Mace, a seminary teacher that teaches across the street from Olympus High school, in the 2024 article on KUER 90.1, “She is one of 12 teachers in that building, where there are 44 separate classes throughout the day.”
The lease agreement would violate the law, as it is on school premises, not adjacent to the school.
It is stated that the educators at the seminary will have no affiliation to school. The district requires anyone on campus to be vetted, yet nowhere on the agreement it states they will be vetted. As a community, we have a right to know that everyone on campus is vetted and not endangering our children.
The accusation by the district stating that the community doesn’t understand the details that went into this is uncalled for, it is gaslighting. Ms. Mentone stated it was studied by the board, but was not made public until March 11, 2025 according to research done.
Construction is set to be completed by January 2026. More information about the upcoming building is here along with more commentary from Mentone.
——
Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
