Signatures
36
People who signed Lifewise's petition
State Law
Pennsylvania is a
"Shall" state
Active Schools
| Location Map | Philadelphia, PA 19130 Philadelphia County |
| Lifewise Local Program Website | Link (opens in a new tab) |
| District Poverty Rate | 24.4% (data source) |
| Non-White Students | 85.4% (data source) |
| NCES Link | NCES District Info |
| Last Updated | April 16, 2026 |
Pennsylvania State Law
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
§ 11.21. Religious holidays and religious instruction.
(a) Upon written parental request, and in accordance with the policies of the district’s board of school directors, students may be excused from school for religious holidays observed by bona fide religious groups.
(b) Upon written parental request, a student shall be excused from school to attend classes for religious instruction under section 1546 of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P. S. § 15-1546). The excusal shall be limited to a total of not more than 36 hours per school year.
(c) A student’s absence from school for religious holidays or for religious instruction shall be recorded as an excused absence. A penalty may not be attached to an absence for religious holidays or instruction.
Authority
The provisions of this § 11.21 amended under section 1317(a) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 367(a) (Repealed)); and sections 1327, 1330, 1372, 1511 and 2603-B of the Public School Code of 1949 (24 P. S. § § 13-1327, 13-1330, 13-1372, 15-1511 and 26-2603-B).
Source
The provisions of this § 11.21 amended December 19, 1986, effective December 20, 1986, 16 Pa.B. 4874; amended October 22, 2004, effective October 23, 2004, 34 Pa.B. 5798. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (244457) to (244458).
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 (211)
| School | Step | Description | Grades | Period | Signatures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts Academy At Benjamin Rush | Step 5 | Draft a Plan | 36 | ||
| Academy At Palumbo | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Adaire Alexander Sch | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Allen Dr Ethel Sch | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Allen Ethan Sch | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Amy At Martin | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Anderson Add B Sch | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Bache-Martin Sch | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Barton Clara Sch | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Bethune Mary Mcleod Sch | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Blankenburg Rudolph Sch | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Central Hs | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Day Anna B Sch | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Lincoln Hs | Step 5 | Collect 50 Signatures | 36 | ||
| Amy Nw | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Arthur Chester A Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Baldi C C A Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Barry Comm John Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Bartram John - Main | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Blaine James G Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Bodine William W Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Bregy F Amedee Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Bridesburg Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Brown Henry A Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Brown Joseph H Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Bryant William C Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Building 21 | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Carver Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Catharine Joseph Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Cayuga School | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Childs George W Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Clemente Roberto Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Comegys Benjamin B Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Comly Watson Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Constitution Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Conwell Russell Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Cook-Wissahickon Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Cooke Jay Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Creative And Performing Arts | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Crossan Kennedy C Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Deburgos Bilingual Magnet Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Decatur Stephen Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Dick William Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Disston Hamilton Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Dobbins AVT HS | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Dobson James Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Dunbar Paul L Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Edison HS/Fareira Skills | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Elkin Lewis Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Ellwood Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Emlen Eleanor C Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Farrell Louis H Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Fell D Newlin Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Fels Samuel Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Feltonville Intermediate School | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Feltonville Sch Of Arts & Sciences | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Finletter Thomas K Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Fitler Academics Plus | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Fitzpatrick Aloysius L Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Forrest Edwin Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Fox Chase Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Frank Anne Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Frankford Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Franklin Benjamin Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Franklin Benjamin Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Franklin Lc | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Franklin S Edmonds Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Furness Horace Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Gamp | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Girard Stephen Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Girls Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Greenberg Joseph Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Greenfield Albert M Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Hackett Horatio B Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Hamilton Andrew Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Harding Warren G Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Harrington Avery D Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Hartranft John F Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Henry Charles W Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Heston Edward Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Hill Freedman World Academy | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Holme Thomas Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Hopkinson Francis Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Houston Henry E Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Howe Julia Ward Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Hunter William H Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Jackson Andrew Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| John Hancock Demonstration Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| John Story Jenks Academy For The Arts An | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Juniata Park Academy | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Kearny Gen Philip Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Kelley William D Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Kelly John B Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Kenderton El Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Kensington Creative & Performing Arts Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Kensington Health Sciences | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Key Francis Scott Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| King Martin Luther Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Kirkbride Eliza B Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Lamberton Robert E Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Lankenau Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Lawton Henry W Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Lea Henry C Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Lewis C Cassidy Academics Plus Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Locke Alain Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Loesche William H Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Logan James Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Longstreth William C Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Lowell James R Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Ludlow James R Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Marshall John Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Marshall Thurgood | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mastbaum Jules E AVTS | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Masterman Julia R Sec Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mayfair Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mccall Gen George A Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mccloskey John F Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mcclure Alexander K Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mcdaniel Delaplaine Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mckinley William Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mcmichael Morton Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Meade Gen George C Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Meehan Austin Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Meredith William M Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Middle Years Alternative | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mifflin Thomas Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Mitchell El Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Moffet John Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Moore J Hampton Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Morris Robert Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Morrison Andrew J Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Morton Thomas G Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Motivation Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Munoz-Marin Luis | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Nebinger George W Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Northeast Community Propel Academy | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Northeast Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Olney El Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Overbrook Edu Ctr | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Overbrook Elementary School | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Overbrook Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Parkway Center City Middle College | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Parkway Northwest | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Parkway West | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Patterson John M Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Paul Robeson Hs For Human Services | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Peirce Thomas M Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Penn Alexander Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Penn Treaty Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Pennell Joseph Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Penrose Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Philadelphia Learning Academy - North | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Philadelphia Learning Academy - South | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Philadelphia Military Acad At Elverson | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Pollock Robert B Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Potter-Thomas Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Powel Samuel Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Prince Hall | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Randolph A. Philip AVT HS | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Rhawnhurst Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Rhoads James Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Rhodes E Washington Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Richmond Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Roosevelt Theodore Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Rowen William Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Roxborough Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Samuel Gompers Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Samuel Pennypacker Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Saul W B Agricultural School | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Sayre William L Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| School Of The Future | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Science Leadership Academy | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Science Leadership Academy Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Sharswood George Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Shawmont Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Sheppard Isaac Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Sheridan Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Solis-Cohen Solomon Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| South Philadelphia Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Southwark Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Spring Garden Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Spruance Gilbert Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Stanton Edwin M Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Stearne Allen M Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Steel Edward Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Strawberry Mansion Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Sullivan James J Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Swenson Arts & Technology HS | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Taggart John H Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Taylor Bayard Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| The Linc | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| The Science Leadership Academy At Beeber | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| The Sd Of Philadelphia Virtual Academy | No Progress | ||||
| The U School: Innovative Lab | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| The Workshop School | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Tilden William T Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Vare-Washington El Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Vaux Hs: A Big Picture School | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Wagner Gen Louis Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Waring Laura W Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Washington George Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Washington Grover Jr Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Washington Martha Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Webster Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Welsh John Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| West Philadelphia Hs | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Widener Memorial Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Willard Frances E Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Wilson Woodrow Ms | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Wright Richard R Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 | ||
| Ziegler William H Sch | Step 5 | No Progress | 36 |
No class schedule info. LifeWise classes are not open for enrollment.
Local Personel
Download All Lifewise Personel List
| Title | Name | Active |
|---|
Launch Steps History
Step
Description
Signatures
Date
Step 5
Draft a Plan
36
April 16, 2026
Associated Organizations
| Org Type | Org Name | Address | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Submit churches, businesses and non-profits that support Lifewise. | ||||
