St. Tammany Parish
Step 4 of 10
Form a Steering Committee (Step Descriptions)
Signatures

40

People who signed Lifewise's petition

State Law

Louisiana is a
"No-Statute" state

Learn more about state laws.

Location Map Covington, LA 70433 St. Tammany Parish
Lifewise Local Program Website Link (opens in a new tab)
District Poverty Rate 13.0% (data source)
Non-White Students 38.6% (data source)
NCES Link NCES District Info
Last Updated April 17, 2026
Louisiana State Law

There is no state statute regulating released time for religious instruction, federal rulings still apply. "No-Statute" states function in theory the same way as "May-Law" states. School districts may create a policy allowing students to be released for religious study, or they may choose not to coordinate with released-time programs and require the students' legal guardians facilitate the process.
Read more about "May" and "Shall" state laws

States with no statute for released time religious instruction are treated like "may" states. Released time programs would need to request approval from the local school board. School districts should not allow a released time program to operate in the district without a specific released time policy.

The federal case laws that mandate how released time functions should be followed. Zorach vs Clauson states:

School districts in states without a statute mandating a released time policy can choose not to allow released time or to coordinate with religious organizations seeking to remove students from school during the school day.

School districts should always have a policy indicating whether they coordinate with released-time religious instruction programs. Not having a policy at all and leaving it up to the released time program should never be the operating standard. This will open the district up to misinterpretation of its intent.

It is suggested that parents approach the school board and request that a released time religious instruction policy be implemented, even before a religious program approaches the district.

This does not encompass all legal requirements, and other legal opinions may exist. Please use this as a guide only.

What Can My School District Do?

All school districts, regardless of whether they are required by law to allow released time, should implement good policy and be prepared for when a released time program may approach the district. The time to set the policy is before an active program is pressuring the district. Research polices the district can implement to protect teachers' and students' instruction time. Set polices that limit disruptions to students and the ability for proselytization to occur, impacting other students of faith or no faith. A more detailed write-up on school board policies can be read here.

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Schools in the District (56)
School Step Description Grades Period Signatures
L.p. Monteleone Junior High SchoolStep 4 99
W.l. Abney Elementary SchoolStep 4 99
Fifth Ward Junior High SchoolStep 4 Form a Steering Committee 99
Abita Springs Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Abney Elementary Early Childhood Center Collect 50 Signatures
Alton Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Bonne Ecole Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Clearwood Junior High SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Covington Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Covington High SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Cypress Cove Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Florida Avenue Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Fontainebleau Junior High SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Honey Island Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Joseph B. Lancaster Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Lee Road Junior High SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Little Oak Middle SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Magnolia Trace Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Mandeville Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Northshore High SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Pine View Middle SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Pontchartrain Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Riverside Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Salmen High SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Sixth Ward Elementary SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Slidell High SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Tchefuncte Middle SchoolStep 4 Collect 50 Signatures 99
Abita Springs Middle SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Bayou Lacombe Middle SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Bayou Woods Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Boyet Junior High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Carolyn Park Middle SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Chahta-Ima Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Creekside Junior HighStep 4 No Progress 99
E. E. Lyon Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Folsom Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Folsom Junior High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Fontainebleau High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Glynn H. Brock Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Henry Mayfield Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Lake Harbor Middle SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Lakeshore High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Little Pearl Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Madisonville Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Madisonville Junior High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Mandeville High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Mandeville Junior High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Mandeville Middle SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Marigny Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Pearl River High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Slidell Junior High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
St. Tammany Junior High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
STPPS Virtual School No Progress
Whispering Forest Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
William Pitcher Junior High SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
Woodlake Elementary SchoolStep 4 No Progress 99
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Launch Steps History
Step
Description
Signatures
Date
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
40
April 17, 2026
 
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