Durham Public Schools
Step 6 of 10
Obtain School Approval (Step Descriptions)
Signatures

89

People who signed Lifewise's petition

State Law

North Carolina is a
"No-Statute" state

Learn more about state laws.

Location Map Durham, NC 27701 Durham County
Lifewise Local Program Website Link (opens in a new tab)
District Poverty Rate 15.1% (data source)
Non-White Students 80.4% (data source)
NCES Link NCES District Info
Last Updated January 18, 2026
North Carolina 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 (55)
School Step Description Grades Period Signatures
Bethesda ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Easley ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Hope Valley ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Lowe's Grove MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 49
Parkwood ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Riverside HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Brogden MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Burton ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
C C Spaulding ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
C E Jordan HighStep 0 No Progress 0
City Of Medicine AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Club Boulevard ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Creekside ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Dps Hospital SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Durham School Of The ArtsStep 0 No Progress 0
Durham's Performance Learning CenterStep 0 No Progress 0
E K Powe ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Eastway ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Eno Valley ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Fayetteville Street ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Forest View ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
George L Carrington MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
George Watts ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Glenn ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Hillandale ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Hillside HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Hillside New Tech HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Holt ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Holton Career and Resource CenterStep 0 No Progress 0
Ignite Online AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
J D Clement Early College HsStep 0 No Progress 0
James E Shepard MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Lakeview SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Lakewood ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Lakewood Montessori MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Little River K-8 SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Lucas MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Mangum ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Merrick-Moore ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Middle College Hs @ DtccStep 0 No Progress 0
Morehead MontessoriStep 0 No Progress 0
Neal MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Northern HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Oak Grove ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Pearsontown ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
R N Harris ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Rogers-Herr MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Sandy Ridge ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Sherwood Githens MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Southern School Of Energy And SustainabiStep 0 No Progress 0
Southwest ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Spring Valley ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
The School For Creative StudiesStep 0 No Progress 0
W G Pearson ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Y E Smith ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
45 schools not shown
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Launch Steps History
Step
Description
Signatures
Date
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
89
January 18, 2026
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
88
January 16, 2026
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
87
January 7, 2026
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
86
December 24, 2025
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
85
November 26, 2025
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
84
November 22, 2025
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
83
January 4, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
57
December 31, 2024
Step 5
Draft a Plan
56
November 6, 2024
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
54
September 9, 2024
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
53
August 29, 2024
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
52
August 23, 2024
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
51
August 1, 2024
Step 2
Join a Kickoff Meeting
50
July 16, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
43
July 9, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
40
July 1, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
38
June 16, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
June 16, 2024
 
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