110
People who signed Lifewise's petition
North Carolina is a
"No-Statute" state
| Location Map | Cary, NC 27518 Wake County |
| Lifewise Local Program Website | Link (opens in a new tab) |
| District Poverty Rate | 8.0% (data source) |
| Non-White Students | 58.2% (data source) |
| NCES Link | NCES District Info |
| Last Updated | January 19, 2026 |
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:
- The public schools should be neutral. “School authorities are neutral in this regard, and do no more than release students whose parents so request.”
- No announcements in the school with regard to the released time program.
- Released time classes are held off of school property
- No public funds or employees are used to facilitate the released time program.
- Parents give their signed consent form to the administration.
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.
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 |
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| Adams Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Alston Ridge Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Apex Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 2 | ||
| Apex Friendship Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 2 | ||
| Beaverdam Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 3 | ||
| Brooks Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 2 | ||
| Carroll Middle | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Cary Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Cary High | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 2 | ||
| Crossroads Flex | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| East Wake High | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Enloe High | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Fuquay-Varina Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 2 | ||
| Fuquay-Varina Middle | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Green Hope Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Harris Creek Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Heritage Middle | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Hodge Road Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Holly Springs High | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Knightdale Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 8 | ||
| Knightdale High | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 5 | ||
| Lake Myra Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Laurel Park Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 2 | ||
| Leesville Road Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Middle Creek High | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Millbrook High | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Olive Chapel Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 2 | ||
| Pleasant Union Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Rand Road Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Rolesville Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Stough Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Timber Drive Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Wake Forest Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Wakefield High | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Weatherstone Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Wendell Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 5 | ||
| West Lake Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 1 | ||
| Willow Springs Elementary | Step 1 | Collect 50 Signatures | 4 | ||
| Abbotts Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Alston Ridge Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Apex Friendship High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Apex Friendship Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Apex High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Apex Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Aversboro Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Baileywick Road Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Banks Road Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Barton Pond Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Barwell Road Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Baucom Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Brassfield Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Brentwood Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Briarcliff Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Brier Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Bryan Road Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Buckhorn Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Bugg Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Carnage Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Carpenter Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Carver Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Cedar Fork Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Centennial Campus Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Combs Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Conn Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Connections Academy | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Creech Road Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Davis Drive Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Davis Drive Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Dillard Drive Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Dillard Drive Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Douglas Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Durant Road Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| East Cary Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| East Garner Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| East Garner Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| East Millbrook Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Farmington Woods Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Forest Pines Drive Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Forestville Road Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Fox Road Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Fuquay-Varina High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Garner High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Green Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Green Level High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Herbert Akins Rd Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Herbert Akins Road Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Heritage Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Heritage High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Highcroft Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Holly Grove Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Holly Ridge Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Holly Ridge Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Holly Springs Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Hortons Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Hunter Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Jeffreys Grove Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Jones Dairy Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Joyner Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Kingswood Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Lacy Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Lead Mine Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Leesville Road High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Leesville Road Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Ligon Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Lincoln Heights Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Lockhart Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Longview | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Lufkin Road Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Lynn Road Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Martin Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Middle Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Millbrook Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Mills Park Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Mills Park Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Moore Square Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Morrisville Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Mount Vernon | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Needham Broughton High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Neuse River Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| North Forest Pines Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| North Garner Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| North Ridge Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| North Wake College And Career Academy | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Northwoods Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Oak Grove Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Oakview Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Oberlin Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Olds Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Panther Creek High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Parkside Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Partnership Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Penny Road Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Phillips High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Pleasant Grove Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Poe Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Powell Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Reedy Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Reedy Creek Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Richland Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| River Bend Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| River Bend Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| River Oaks Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Rogers Lane Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Rolesville High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Rolesville Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Root Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Salem Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Salem Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Sanderson High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Sanford Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| SCORE Academy | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Scotts Ridge Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Smith Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| South Garner High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| South Lakes Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Southeast Raleigh Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Southeast Raleigh High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Swift Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Sycamore Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Turner Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Underwood Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Vance Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Vandora Springs Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wake Early College Of Health And Science | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wake Forest High School | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wake Forest Middle School | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wake Stem Early College High School | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wake Virtual Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wake Virtual High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wake Virtual Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wake Young Men's Leadership Academy | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wakefield Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wakefield Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wakelon Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Walnut Creek Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Washington Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wendell Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| West Cary Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| West Lake Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| West Millbrook Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| White Oak Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wilburn Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wildwood Forest Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Wiley Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Willow Spring High | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Yates Mill Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| York Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Zebulon Elementary | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
| Zebulon Middle | Step 0 | No Progress | 0 | ||
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| Submit churches, businesses and non-profits that support Lifewise. | ||||
