Madison Metropolitan School District
Step 1 of 10
Collect 50 Signatures (Step Descriptions)
Signatures

11

People who signed Lifewise's petition

State Law

Wisconsin is a
"Shall" state

Learn more about state laws.

Location Map Madison, WI 53703 Dane County
Lifewise Local Program Website Link (opens in a new tab)
District Poverty Rate 11.5% (data source)
Non-White Students 60.7% (data source)
NCES Link NCES District Info
Last Updated September 1, 2026
Wisconsin 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

118.155 Released time for religious instruction.

(1) Any school board shall, without approval of the state superintendent, permit pupils with written permission of a parent or guardian to be absent from school at least 60 minutes but not more than 180 minutes per week to obtain religious instruction outside the school during the required school period. The supervisor of such religious instruction shall report monthly, to the principal of the school regularly attended, the names of the pupils who attended such weekly religious instruction. The school board may deny the privilege of released time to pupils who absent themselves from such religious instruction after requesting the privilege. The time period, or periods, allotted for the pupil to be absent from school for the purpose of religious instruction shall be determined by the school board.
(2) Any transportation to religious instruction or from religious instruction to the public school shall be the responsibility of the parents or of the organization sponsoring the religious instruction.
(3) The school district shall be released from all liability for a pupil who is absent from school in accordance with sub. (1).

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 (54)
School Step Description Grades Period Signatures
Allis ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 16
Black Hawk MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 16
Cesar Chavez ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 16
Cherokee Heights MiddleStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 16
Dr Virginia Henderson Elementary SchoolStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 16
East HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 16
Innovative & Alternative HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 16
Lafollette HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 16
Memorial HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 16
Nuestro Mundo Collect 50 Signatures
4k Pk Off Site No Progress
Badger Rock Middle No Progress
Capital HighStep 1 No Progress 16
Crestwood ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Elvehjem ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Emerson ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Falk ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Franklin ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Gompers ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Hamilton MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
Hawthorne ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Huegel ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Innovative & Alternative MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
James Wright MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
Jefferson MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
Kennedy ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Lake View ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Lapham ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Leopold ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Lincoln ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Lindbergh ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Lowell ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Marquette ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Mendota ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Metro SchoolStep 1 No Progress 16
Midvale ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Muir ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
O'keeffe MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
Olson ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Orchard Ridge ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Randall Elementary SchoolStep 1 No Progress 16
Sandburg ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Schenk ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Sennett MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
Shabazz-City HighStep 1 No Progress 16
Sherman MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
Shorewood Hills ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Spring Harbor MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
Stephens ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Thoreau ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
Toki MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
Van Hise ElementaryStep 1 No Progress 16
West HighStep 1 No Progress 16
Whitehorse MiddleStep 1 No Progress 16
44 schools not shown
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Launch Steps History
Step
Description
Signatures
Date
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
11
September 1, 2026
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
10
August 8, 2026
 
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