It was a packed Bluewater District Board of Education Chamber in Chesley to hear how the board's Committee of the Whole was going to deal with the controversial issue of religious materials in the public schools.

But the answer didn't change.

The committee voted Tuesday to disallow the distribution of religious materials in schools without a system review process being followed up.

The board will have its final vote on the matter at its next regular meeting, April 17th and if it goes like the last vote -- it will be the end of a 60-year practice of Gideon Bibles being distributed to Grade 5 students who had earlier received permission from their parents.

Policy committee chair Kevin Larson, wanted to see both recommendations -- disallowing distribution of religious materials in schools and allowing it on the approval of the board -- go out for a system review by the education partners since they haven't had a say on the matter.

Larson says without outside discussion, the board is facing a credibility issue with those they represent.

Larson voted on allowing all faiths into the public system.

Meanwhile, Meaford/Blue Mountain trustee Fran Morgan, who voted to eliminate religious materials in the school, says the issue has been a nasty one.

Morgan says all trustees have received e-mails on this subject and many have been threatening.

She says there have been some death threats.

Morgan says the board is building a file of the correspondence.

Prior to the latest vote, there were two delegations.

Dave Mathieu of Owen Sound said the trustees had a chance to send the issue to a system review but instead cut off further discussion.

Had they done the system review and still come up with the same answer then they could hold their heads up and still have the respect of the electorate.

On the other hand, Alice Paisley-Ellis of Kincardine was glad to see the vote go the way it did.

Paisley-Ellis says she has converted to the Islam faith from Christianity and has seen the ugly side of discrimination because of religion.

She says religion belongs in places of worship and at home but not in the schools.