62
People who signed Lifewise's petition
Texas is a
"Shall" state
| Location Map | AUSTIN, TX 78703 Travis County |
| Lifewise Local Program Website | Link (opens in a new tab) |
| District Poverty Rate | 12.5% (data source) |
| Non-White Students | 69.2% (data source) |
| NCES Link | NCES District Info |
| Last Updated | April 13, 2026 |
Schools are required to allow students to be released for religious programs. This does not mean schools do not have
the ability to create policies that protect the school's instruction time.
Read more about "May" and "Shall" state laws
Full Law Text Link to State Law
Sec. 25.0875. EXCUSED ABSENCE TO ATTEND RELEASED TIME COURSE. (a) In this section, "released time course" means a course in religious instruction offered by a private entity.
(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school shall, on the request of a parent or legal guardian of a student enrolled at the district or school and subject to the policy adopted under Subsection (c), excuse the student from attending school to attend a released time course for at least one but not more than five hours a week.
(c) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt a policy for excusing a student enrolled at the district or school from attending school to attend a released time course. The policy:
(1) must require:
(A) the student's parent or legal guardian to provide written consent for the student to attend the released time course;
(B) the private entity offering the released time course to maintain attendance records and make the records available to the district or school at which the student is enrolled;
(C) the private entity, parent or legal guardian, or student to assume responsibility for transportation, including transportation for a student with a disability, to and from any location at which the released time course is offered;
(D) the private entity to make provisions for and assume liability for the student enrolled in the released time course while the student is under the private entity's care; and
(E) the student to assume responsibility for any schoolwork issued during the student's absence;
(2) must prohibit:
(A) the district or school from using district or school funds, excluding de minimis costs, to facilitate the provision of a released time course; and
(B) the private entity from offering the released time course on district or school property, unless permitted under a neutral policy of equal access that allows community organizations to use district or school property; and
(3) may not interfere with the ability of the student's parent or legal guardian to request or access a released time course for the student.
Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1140 (S.B. 1049), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025.
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.
Share With Others Click to share| School | Step | Description | Grades | Period | Signatures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrews El | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Austin H S | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Bailey Middle | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Baranoff El | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Blanton El | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Bowie H S | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Covington Middle | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Crockett Echs | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Gorzycki Middle | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Hart El | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| JOSLIN EL | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Linder El | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Mccallum H S | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Mills El | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Murchison Middle | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Patton El | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Sunset Valley El | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| TRAVIS COUNTY JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER | Collect 50 Signatures | ||||
| Travis Hts El | Collect 50 Signatures | ||||
| Wooldridge El | Step 7 | Collect 50 Signatures | 62 | ||
| Akins H S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Allison El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| ALTERNATIVE LEARNING CENTER | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| ANITA FERRALES COY FACILITY | No Progress | ||||
| Austin Isd Child Development Center | No Progress | ||||
| AUSTIN ST HOSPITAL | No Progress | ||||
| Baldwin El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Barrington El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Barton Hills El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| BEAR CREEK EL | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Becker El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Bedichek Middle | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Blackshear El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Blazier El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Boone El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Brentwood El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| BROOKE EL | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Brown El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Bryker Woods El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Burnet Middle | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Casey El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Casis El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Clayton El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Cook El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Cowan El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Cunningham El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Davis El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Dawson El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| DELL CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER | No Progress | ||||
| Dobie Middle | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| DOBIE PK CENTER | No Progress | ||||
| Doss El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Eastside Memorial Echs | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Galindo El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Garcia Ymla | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| GARZA INDEPENDENCE H S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Govalle El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| GRADUATION PREP ACADEMY NAVARRO | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| GRADUATION PREP ACADEMY TRAVIS | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| GRADUATION PREPARATORY ACADEMY | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Graham El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| GREENLEAF NCC | No Progress | ||||
| Guerrero Thompson | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Gullett El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Harris El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Highland Park El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Hill El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Houston El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| INTERNATIONAL H S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Jordan El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Kealing M S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Kiker El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Kocurek El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Lamar M S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Langford El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Lasa H S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| LEADERSHIP ACADEMY | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Lee El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Lively Middle | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Mainspring Schools | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Maplewood El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Martin Middle | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Mathews El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Mcbee El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Menchaca El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Mendez Middle | No Progress | ||||
| Metz El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Navarro Early College H S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| NEW NORTHEAST MIDDLE | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Norman-Sims El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Northeast Early College H S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| O Henry Middle | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Oak Hill El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Oak Springs El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Odom El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Ortega El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Overton El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Padron El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Palm El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Paredes M S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| PEASE EL | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Pecan Springs El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Perez El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| PHOENIX ACADEMY | No Progress | ||||
| Pickle El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Pillow El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Pleasant Hill El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| READ PRE-K CENTER | No Progress | ||||
| Reilly El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| RICHARDS SCH FOR YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Ridgetop El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Rodriguez El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| ROSEDALE | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Sadler Means Ywla | No Progress | ||||
| Sanchez El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| SIMS EL | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Small Middle | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| St Elmo El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Summitt El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| TRAVIS COUNTY DAY SCHOOL | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| TRAVIS COUNTY J J A E P | No Progress | ||||
| Travis Early College H S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Uphaus Early Childhood Center | No Progress | ||||
| Walnut Creek El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Webb M S | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| WEBB PRI CENTER | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Widen El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Williams El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Winn El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Wooten El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Zavala El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 | ||
| Zilker El | Step 7 | No Progress | 62 |
| Title | Name | Active |
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| Org Type | Org Name | Address | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit churches, businesses and non-profits that support Lifewise. | ||||
