Arkansas Schools Can Offer Released Time—Here’s How

Religious Freedom, , ,

Recently we have written about released time programs at Arkansas’ public schools.

Legally, public schools may set aside released time during the school week for students to voluntarily attend religious classes off-campus.

Released time makes it possible for students to be excused from school so they can attend Bible studies or other religious classes during normal school hours.

Thanks to federal court rulings, released time programs have been in operation for over 100 years across the U.S. — although some states have chosen to enact laws officially recognizing released time and outlining school policies authorizing it.

Unfortunately, Arkansas has no law concerning released time at public schools. So how can public school students in Arkansas utilize released time?

In 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court case Zorach v. Clauson affirmed released time programs in America. In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that released time did not violate the First Amendment. As long as these programs are voluntary — with written parental consent — privately funded, and operate off school grounds, they are constitutional.

Generally speaking, released time in Arkansas requires three components:

  1. A church or other organization that wants to fund and conduct a released time program off-campus.
  2. School board approval for a policy authorizing students to leave campus for released time during school hours.
  3. Parental consent for the student to participate in the program.

Once a church or other group properly plans and prepares to operate a released time program, they can go to the local school board to seek approval and then collaborate with the school district to set the best time in the day for a released time program.

As long as the program meets off-campus, obtains parental consent, and is privately funded, then the school board may authorize the program. 

The private entity that oversees the released time program is encouraged to work with the local school district and school board to set up a mutually agreeable schedule that benefits students.  If planned correctly, released time programs generally do not conflict with a student’s core courses like math or English.

Students can already participate in multiple programs during the school week that are extracurricular, including activities that are not on school grounds. These can include pursuing career and technical programs, participating in academic clubs, student governments, the arts, and volunteering in community work. In that regard, released time is no different from many other extracurricular activities.

Family Council hopes to work with state and local policymakers in the future to promote released time programs and help pass a law formally recognizing released time in Arkansas. If you are interested in starting a released time program in your community, you are welcome to contact our office at 501-375-7000 for more information.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE

Released Time Curricula and Programs in Arkansas

Religious Freedom, ,

Last week we wrote about released time at Arkansas’ public schools.

Legally in America, public schools may set aside released time during the school week for students to voluntarily attend religious classes off-campus.

Released time makes it possible for students to be excused from school so they can attend Bible studies or other religious classes during normal school hours.

Released time programs have been in operation for over 100 years across the U.S.

The number of students participating in released time programs is growing rapidly as more people become aware of it and find new resources that help educate them on starting programs in their communities.

Released time programs are typically conducted throughout grades K-12, and they normally last 30 minutes to an hour one school day a week. Some programs break up that hour throughout the week. Scheduling is typically determined by the group and the school.

Volunteers in Gravette have taught the Bible to students for over 70 years in multiple ways, including released time conducted off-campus. In 2007 the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette wrote about the program, saying, “The tiny building [where released time takes place], which has the word Logos etched above the door, sits on a 50-foot wide piece of private property wedged between Glen Duffy Elementary and Gravette Upper Elementary School.”

Other released time programs exist in Arkansas, either independently or through organizations like School Ministries or LifeWise who provide curricula to local groups.

School Ministries has been in operation since 1991 and has helped hundreds — if not thousands — of communities “start, sustain and grow Released Time Bible Education (RTBE) programs — the only legal means to teach the Bible both academically and devotionally in the time between the first and last bell.” Breaking ground in 2019, LifeWise has also assisted parents, pastors, and faith leaders in providing a “structured, plug-and-play” model which provides communities all the tools to launch and maintain an effective program while limiting administrative duties.” Both of these programs provide beneficial help for starting and maintaining a released time program.

H.B. 1139 by Rep. Brit McKenzie (R — Rogers) and Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) would have written released time into Arkansas law and clarified how public schools may excuse students for released time during school hours. Unfortunately, the bill failed to pass this year, but schools in Arkansas are still free to offer released time to students under federal court rulings.

Family Council hopes to work with state and local policymakers in the future to promote released time programs and pass a measure writing released time into Arkansas law.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE

Understanding “Released Time” at Public Schools

Religious Freedom, ,

During the legislative session earlier this year, there was discussion about released time at Arkansas’ public schools.

Legally in America, public schools may set aside released time during the school week for students to voluntarily attend religious classes off-campus. Released time programs have been in operation for over 100 years in the United States.

Released time makes it possible for students to be excused from school so they can attend Bible studies or other religious classes during normal school hours.

In 1952, the U.S. Supreme Court case Zorach v. Clauson solidified released time programs in America after multiple lawsuits and another court case put it in jeopardy. In a 6-3 decision, the Court found that a New York Education Law permitting release time did not violate the First Amendment. As long as these programs are voluntary — with written parental consent — operate off school grounds, and are privately funded, they are constitutional.

Since the Zorach case, thousands of students have participated in released time programs all across the country. There are estimated to be hundreds, if not thousands, of released time programs in operation, serving more than 350,000 students in first grade through high school.

In 2007 the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette wrote about released time programs in Arkansas and elsewhere around the country, noting, “Even the Arkansas American Civil Liberties Union agrees it’s allowable.” Volunteers in Gravette, Arkansas, have taught a Bible to students for over 70 years in multiple ways, including released time. Other released time programs exist in Arkansas, either independently or through organizations like School Ministries or LifeWise that provide curricula to local groups.

While released time is legal under federal court rulings in Arkansas, the state has no law formally acknowledging released time or explaining how public school districts extend released time to students. As a result, many Arkansans don’t know that released time is available during normal school hours.

H.B. 1139 by Rep. Brit McKenzie (R — Rogers) and Sen. Joshua Bryant (R — Rogers) would have fixed that problem.

This good bill would have written released time into state law and clarified how public schools may excuse students for released time during school hours.

Unfortunately, the House Education Committee rejected H.B. 1139 in April after some 40 minutes of public testimony.

Family Council appreciates Rep. McKenzie and Sen. Bryant sponsoring this good bill, and we hope to work with state and local policymakers in the future to promote released time programs and pass a measure writing released time into Arkansas law.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

READ MORE