Summary — SB 92 (Released Time Education Act)
Status & basic info
- Bill: SB 92 — "Released Time Education Act"
- Introducted: January 22, 2025
- Status: Passed first reading (text provides legislative language)
- Effective/applicability date: Becomes effective upon enactment and applies beginning with the 2025–2026 school year (per the bill text).
Purpose / intent
- Authorizes local public school governing bodies to adopt a district policy that permits students to leave school during the instructional day to attend “released time” courses in religious moral instruction offered by outside sponsoring organizations. The intent is to allow participation in off‑campus religious instruction while setting neutral administrative safeguards.
Key provisions
- Released time policy (local option)
- A local public school unit MAY adopt a released time course policy; it is not mandatory.
- Students may attend released time courses at least one hour and up to a maximum of five hours per week.
- Minimum requirements for policies
- Written parental or legal guardian consent is required.
- Transportation (including for students with disabilities) to/from the course location is the responsibility of the sponsoring entity, parent/guardian, or student (not the school).
- No use of federal, State, or local funds to provide the course beyond minimal administrative costs to facilitate the policy.
- Students are responsible for any schoolwork missed while attending released time.
- Released time courses are not to be held on school property unless the district’s neutral “equal access” policy permits community use.
- Students attending released time are not marked absent.
- Academic credit
- A governing body may award up to two elective course credits for completion of a released time course.
- Credit decisions must be based on secular criteria substantially similar to those used for comparable courses (examples: instructional hours, syllabus, assessment methods, instructor qualifications).
- The award process must be neutral with respect to religious content or denominational affiliation.
- Duties of sponsoring organizations
- Maintain attendance records and make them available to the school unit.
- Provide a syllabus on request to the school governing body.
- Assume supervision and liability for students while under the sponsoring organization’s supervision.
Who is affected
- Students and families: option to participate in off‑campus religious instruction during school hours without being marked absent; parental consent and transportation responsibilities.
- Local school districts and governing bodies: optional policy adoption, administrative oversight (evaluating syllabi and instructor qualifications, awarding credits), and limited facilitation role.
- Sponsoring organizations: must maintain records, provide syllabi, assume liability and transportation, and meet any criteria the district uses to evaluate courses for credit.
Procedural/timeline considerations
- Policy adoption is at the discretion of each local governing body; a district that chooses to implement must adopt a written policy meeting the bill’s minimum standards before offering released time.
- Course credit can be granted only after the district evaluates the course under neutral, secular criteria.
- Applies beginning in the 2025–2026 school year (if enacted).
Potential implementation issues (non‑exhaustive)
- Scheduling and instructional continuity for students leaving campus during the day.
- Ensuring equitable access (transportation burden may limit participation).
- Administrative workload for districts evaluating released time courses and verifying instructor qualifications, while ensuring that evaluation remains neutral to religion.
- Constitutional considerations (Establishment Clause) are addressed in part by requiring neutrality and parental consent, but districts may still need legal guidance in implementation.
