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
(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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Lifewise Academy, a fundamentalist Christian ministry, is planning to remove students from our local schools. Lifewise has made public schools its mission field and aims to convert every student to its version of Christianity. Background checks for Lifewise employees and volunteers are not conducted to the same standard as public schools. Lifewise does not allow parents, churches, and the general public to fully review its curriculum. Lifewise Academy does not improve attendance, behavior, or school performance, contrary to statements by Lifewise. Please read more at https://respectpublicschools.com/milwaukee-school-district-milwaukee-county-wi Read and learn about Lifewise Academy, inform your school board and administration, and get involved.
