Released Time
Released Time programs in public schools allows students to leave during the school day for scheduled religious-related instruction or activities off-campus. States allowing this as of 2024 include Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Indiana, and Florida, typically at the discretion of local school boards. Many additional states also allow this, some providing academic credit for it such as in Utah (by administrative regulation).
Large providers of these services include LifeWise (based on Ohio) and School Ministries (based in South Carolina).
Illinois
As with half the states (see below), there is no specific law in Illinois governing released time instruction or activities. In the 1946 Illinois Supreme Court decision of Latimer v. Board of Education, 68 N.E. 2d 305, a challenge to released time was rejected and since then one hour per week at the request of parents has been allowed for off-site religious instruction during the school day.
25 states with no limitations on this
These 25 states have no laws about released time, thereby leaving it up to local public schools or school boards:
| “ | Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.[1] |
” |
See also
- state-by-state listing
- Snyder v. Charlotte Pub. Sch. Dist., 421 Mich. 517, 540, 365 N.W.2d 151 (1984)