JEFB: Released Time for Religious Instruction

Policy

The Board of Education authorizes that students may be excused from school to attend a released time course in religious instruction, provided that each of the following applies:

(1) The student's parent or guardian gives 24-hour advance written consent;

(2) The entity sponsoring the religious instruction maintains attendance records and makes them available to the School District;

 (3) Transportation to and from the place of religious instruction, including transportation for students with disabilities, is the complete responsibility of the sponsoring entity, parent, guardian, or student;

(4) The sponsoring entity makes provisions for and assumes liability for the student;

(5) No School District funds are expended and no School District personnel are involved in providing the religious instruction;

(6) The student assumes responsibility for any missed schoolwork;

(7) No student may be released from a core curriculum subject course to attend a religious instruction course; and

(8) All instructors and volunteers of the sponsoring entity have been submitted to and passed a criminal records check in the same manner as required for School District employees pursuant to Board Policy GBQ-Criminal Records Check.

The term "released time", as defined by Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.6022(A), means a period of time during which a student is excused from school to attend a course in religious instruction conducted by a private entity off school district property.

The term “core curriculum subject course”, as defined by this policy, means any subject course required for graduation, including, but not limited to, any course in English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, history, government, world language, fine arts, health, physical education, business, career-technical education, family and consumer sciences, technology including computer science, computer coding, agricultural education, a junior reserve officer training corps (JROTC) program, economics, financial literacy, and senior seminar.

While in attendance in a released time course in religious instruction, a student shall not be considered absent from school.

Pursuant to the discretion granted to boards of education under Ohio Revised Code Section 3313.6022(D), the Board does not authorize high school students to earn high school credit for the completion of any released time course in religious instruction.

The School District, the Board of Education members, and School District employees are not liable in damages in a civil action for injury allegedly arising during a student's transportation to or from a place of instruction when private transportation is used under this policy.

The cost of criminal records checks of the instructors and volunteers of the entity sponsoring religious instruction shall be paid by the sponsoring entity.

History

Legal References