Instead of learning a foreign language, acting in drama class or working on the school yearbook, more than 30 students at Spartanburg High School in past years have opted for an elective not even offered on school grounds.

As part of Spartanburg's Bible Education in School Time program, students travel to a nearby church and spend an elective class studying the Old and New Testaments, the Scriptures and other Bible-based teachings. Nearly 6,500 elementary, middle and high school students across South Carolina participate in similar programs that allow public school students to take off-campus religion courses during the school day as long as the initiative is not paid for with public dollars.

As the number of graduation requirements has increased in recent years, fewer high school students have signed up for off-campus religion classes. State Sen. Chip Campsen, R-Charleston, has sponsored a bill that aims to boost participation by authorizing elective credit for the off-campus courses.

"Kids can't afford to take an elective that doesn't allow them to earn a Carnegie unit," Campsen said.

The Senate education committee approved the bill on Tuesday, and sent the legislation to the full Senate. If the bill passes, South Carolina would become the second state to count off-campus religion courses as high school elective credit.

Although no organizations in the Lowcountry offer the religion courses, the programs are popular with elementary and middle school students in the Midlands and Upstate. More than 70 schools across the state authorize student participation.

Troy Bridges, an official with the Spartanburg off-campus program, said the bill's approval would help resurrect sagging high school participation there.

Ten classes are taught each day to middle school students in Spartanburg, but Bridges said his organization had to drop the high school program this year when no students signed up.

"Taking an elective without receiving credit does not give high school students an assurance that they'd end up with enough units to graduate on time," he said. "This bill makes us confident that we'd have enough students signing up next year that we'd have to hire a full-time teacher."

Educators often shy away from the shaky ground of mixing religious teachings with secular public schools. But Jim Foster, a state Department of Education spokesman, said academic officials aren't opposed to Campsen's bill, as the legislation calls for school districts to evaluate course content before giving credit.

A one-on-one chat with a pastor would not meet a school district's requirements, but a class with a detailed syllabus, certified teacher and mandated instructional time could pass the test.

"The assumption is that local school districts will exercise diligence in determining which of these offerings are legitimate coursework," Foster said.

Grayson Hartgrove, a board member for the national Bible Education in School Time Network and director of religion classes in the Columbia area, said he's already met with churches poised to start their own high school religion courses if the legislation passes. The bill's approval also could prompt religious organizations in the Charleston area and other parts of the state to look into starting their own programs, he said.

The bill also places the onus for the decision on state lawmakers, instead of asking local school boards to tackle the touchy issue on their own, Hartgrove said.

"School districts already have enough to deal with without having to walk the fine line of approving courses with religious content," Hartgrove said. "With this legislation on their backs, we hope school districts would be more confident about avoiding legal ramifications over church-state issues."

Reach Mindy B. Hagen at 937-5433 or mhagen@postandcourier.com.