Elbert Elementary School
Step 10 of 10
District approved, check individual school. (Step Descriptions)
Signatures

23

People who signed Lifewise's petition

State Law

Georgia is a
"No-Statute" state

Learn more about state laws.

Lifewise Enrollment
Location Map Elberton, GA 30635 Polk County
School District Polk
Lifewise Local Program Website Link (opens in a new tab)
District Poverty Rate % (data source)
Non-White Students % (data source)
NCES Link NCES District Info
Last Updated September 5, 2026
Georgia 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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Launch Steps History
Step
Description
Signatures
Date
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
23
September 5, 2026
Step 10
Open for Enrollment
23
September 5, 2026
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
23
August 29, 2026
Step 10
Open for Enrollment
23
August 29, 2026
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
23
August 22, 2026
Step 10
Open for Enrollment
23
August 22, 2026
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
23
August 14, 2026
Step 10
Open for Enrollment
23
August 14, 2026
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
23
August 8, 2026
Step 10
Open for Enrollment
23
August 8, 2026
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
23
April 16, 2026
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
20
February 15, 2026
Step 9
Execute the Plan
22
January 31, 2026
Step 9
Execute the Plan
21
January 21, 2026
Step 9
Execute the Plan
131
January 18, 2026
Step 9
Execute the Plan
129
January 14, 2026
Step 9
Execute the Plan
128
December 30, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
127
December 24, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
126
December 6, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
125
November 18, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
124
November 13, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
123
April 22, 2025
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
103
April 12, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
103
April 10, 2025
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
103
March 20, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
103
February 2, 2025
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
100
January 18, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
93
January 4, 2025
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
92
January 4, 2025
Step 9
Execute the Plan
91
December 13, 2024
Step 8
Train Your Team
86
October 9, 2024
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
86
September 27, 2024
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
85
August 23, 2024
Step 10
District approved, check individual school.
84
August 13, 2024
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
84
June 20, 2024
Step 6
Obtain School Approval
78
June 15, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
78
June 6, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
1
May 22, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
3
May 22, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
2
May 22, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
4
May 22, 2024
Step 0
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0
May 22, 2024
Step 0
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0
May 22, 2024
Step 1
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1
May 22, 2024
Step 0
No Progress
0
May 21, 2024
Step 0
No Progress
0
May 21, 2024
Step 0
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0
May 21, 2024
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Collect 50 Signatures
1
May 21, 2024
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0
May 21, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
1
May 21, 2024
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Collect 50 Signatures
1
May 21, 2024
Step 0
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0
May 21, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
1
May 21, 2024
Step 0
No Progress
0
May 21, 2024
Step 0
No Progress
0
May 21, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
1
May 21, 2024
Step 2
Join a Kickoff Meeting
78
May 17, 2024
Step 2
Join a Kickoff Meeting
73
May 14, 2024
Step 2
Join a Kickoff Meeting
69
May 11, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
57
May 7, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
33
May 4, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
32
May 1, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
25
April 26, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
14
March 25, 2024
 
 
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