Cumberland County Schools
Step 4 of 10
Form a Steering Committee (Step Descriptions)
Signatures

97

People who signed Lifewise's petition

State Law

North Carolina is a
"No-Statute" state

Learn more about state laws.

Location Map Fayetteville, NC 28306 Cumberland County
Lifewise Local Program Website Link (opens in a new tab)
District Poverty Rate 21.9% (data source)
Non-White Students 75.7% (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 (88)
School Step Description Grades Period Signatures
Alma O Easom ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 2
Anne Chesnutt MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Ashley ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 2
Cape Fear HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 3
Cumberland Mills ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Cumberland Road ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Douglas Byrd HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 2
Douglas Byrd MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
E E Smith HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Ed V Baldwin ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
John R Griffin MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Mac Williams MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 4
Pine Forest MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Ramsey Street HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Reid Ross Classical MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Sherwood Park ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
South View MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Terry Sanford HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Westarea ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Alderman Road ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Alger B. Wilkins High SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Armstrong ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Beaver Dam ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Benjamin J Martin ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Bill Hefner ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Brentwood ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
C Wayne Collier ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Cliffdale ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
College Lakes ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Cross Creek Early CollegeStep 0 No Progress 0
Cumberland Academy 6-12 Virtual SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Cumberland Academy K-5 Virtual SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Cumberland International Early CollegeStep 0 No Progress 0
Cumberland PolytechnicStep 0 No Progress 0
District No 7 ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
E E Miller ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
E Melvin Honeycutt ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Eastover-Central ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Elizabeth M Cashwell ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Ferguson-Easley ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Gallberry Farm ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Glendale Acres ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Gray's Creek ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Gray's Creek HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Gray's Creek MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Hope Mills MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Howard L Hall ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Howard Learning AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Ireland Drive MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
J W Coon ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
J W Seabrook ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Jack Britt HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Lake Rim ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Lewis Chapel MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Lillian Black ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Long Hill ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Loyd E Auman ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Lucile Souders ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Luther Nick Jeralds MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Manchester ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Margaret Willis ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Mary Mcarthur ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Montclair ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Morganton Road ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
New Century International ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
New Century International MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Pine Forest HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Ponderosa ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
R Max Abbott MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Raleigh Road ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Reid Ross Classical HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Rockfish ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Seventy-First Classical MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Seventy-First HighStep 0 No Progress 0
South View HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Spring Lake MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Stedman ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Stedman PrimaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Stoney Point ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Sunnyside ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Teresa C Berrien ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Vanstory Hills ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Walker-Spivey ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Warrenwood ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Westover HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Westover MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
William H Owen ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
William T Brown ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
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Launch Steps History
Step
Description
Signatures
Date
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
97
January 14, 2026
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
96
January 6, 2026
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
95
January 3, 2026
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
93
December 17, 2025
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
92
December 11, 2025
Step 4
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90
November 11, 2025
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
86
November 4, 2025
Step 4
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84
October 4, 2025
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80
September 27, 2025
Step 4
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77
September 23, 2025
Step 4
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75
September 21, 2025
Step 4
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69
September 18, 2025
Step 4
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68
September 16, 2025
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64
September 13, 2025
Step 4
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62
September 5, 2025
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
61
August 29, 2025
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
56
August 22, 2025
Step 4
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54
August 19, 2025
Step 4
Form a Steering Committee
50
August 13, 2025
Step 2
Join a Kickoff Meeting
50
August 8, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
50
August 8, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
48
July 23, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
43
June 15, 2025
Step 1
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39
May 20, 2025
Step 1
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36
May 9, 2025
Step 1
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30
April 22, 2025
Step 1
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29
April 10, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
27
March 28, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
26
March 20, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
21
March 4, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
19
February 15, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
18
February 9, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
17
February 2, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
14
January 18, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
7
January 4, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
6
December 31, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
4
October 7, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
3
July 31, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
2
April 25, 2024
Step 0
No Progress
0
March 17, 2024
 
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