Changes

'''Released Time''' programs in [[public school]]s allow students to leave during the school day for scheduled religious-related instruction or activities off-campus.  States allowing this by statute as of 2025 include:

'''Released Time''' programs in [[public school]]s allow students to leave during the school day for scheduled religious-related instruction or activities off-campus.  States allowing this by statute as of 2025 include:

   

   

:Florida, Hawaii, Indiana (up to 2 hours per week), Iowa, Kentucky (at the discretion of the school board, and only one has approved as of Oct. 2025), Montana, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin.

:Florida, Hawaii, Indiana (up to 2 hours per week),<ref>https://indianapublicradio.org/news/2025/05/new-indiana-law-expands-religious-education-time-relaxes-stem-licensing-shortens-bullying-alerts/?utm_source=chatgpt.com</ref> Iowa, Kentucky (at the discretion of the school board, and only one has approved as of Oct. 2025), Montana, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Wisconsin.

North Carolina enacted a law in 2026 authorizing local school boards to allow 1-4 hours '''''per week''''' of released time for public school students, depending the time approved by the local school board.<ref>https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article316321190.html</ref> But under this new law a school board could choose not to allow any released time.

North Carolina enacted a law in 2026 authorizing local school boards to allow 1-4 hours '''''per week''''' of released time for public school students, depending on the time approved by the local school board.<ref>https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article316321190.html</ref> But under this new law a school board could choose not to allow any released time.

Most additional states also allow this if the local public school or school board approves. In some states academic credit is available for the released time instruction, as in Utah (by administrative regulation).  

Most additional states also allow this if the local public school or school board approves. In some states academic credit is available for the released time instruction, as in Utah (by administrative regulation).  

== See also ==

== See also ==

*[https://releasedtime.org/statelaws state-by-state listing]

*[https://releasedtime.org/statelaws state-by-state listing]

*[https://casetext.com/case/snyder-v-charlotte-schools Snyder v. Charlotte Pub. Sch. Dist., 421 Mich. 517, 540, 365 N.W.2d 151 (1984)]

*[https://casetext.com/case/snyder-v-charlotte-schools Snyder v. Charlotte Pub. Sch. Dist., 421 Mich. 517, 540, 365 N.W.2d 151 (1984)]

== References ==

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{reflist}}

[[category:education]]

[[category:education]]