SB1741

THE CONTEXT: Each governing board and governing body must adopt a policy governing the excuse of students for religious purposes that may allow a student to be excused from school attendance for religious purposes, including participation in religious exercises or instruction. If the policy allows a student to be excused for religious purposes, the policy must detail the conditions for the excuse to be granted to the student, including the requirements that the: 1) person with custody of the student give written consent; and 2) religious instruction or exercise take place at a suitable place away from school property desi...

WHAT THE BILL DID: The final vetoed version would require each governing body and governing board to allow students to attend a released time course during regular school hours if: a; the school receives written consent from the parent of each participating student; b; the released time course provider: i; records the attendance of each participating student and provides copies of the attendance records to the charter school or school district; ii; assumes all legal responsibility for each participating student while the student is under the provider's control; iii; provides religious instruction to participating students for between one to five hours weekly; and iv; demonstrates that the released time course instructor has similar qualifications as the charter school's or school district's instructors; c; any necessary transportation services relating to a released time course are provided by the released time course provider, participating students or the parents of participating students; and d; each participating student is responsible for completing any schoolwork the student misses because of released time course attendance, stipulate each charter school and school district that allows students to attend a released time course must: a; award academic credit to each student who successfully completes the released time course; and b; count any time a student spends participating in a released time course during regular school hours as instructional time and hours to meet instructional time and hours requirements and to determine average daily membership and daily attendance, and instruct a charter school and school district to determine how much credit to award for the released time course by using only secular criteria that are substantially the same as the criteria that the charter school or school district uses to evaluate similar courses, including a; the number of hours of classroom instructional time; b; the course requirements and instructional materials used for the released time course according to the syllabus; and c; student assessments conducted by the released time course provider.

WHY IT MATTERED: The practical reason for this bill was to turn the Legislature's standard for public schools into an enforceable rule. It would require each governing body and governing board to allow students to attend a released time course during regular school hours if: a. the school receives written consent from the parent of each participating student; b. the released time course provider: i. records the attendance of each participating student and provides copies of the attendance records to the charter school or school district; ii. assumes all legal responsibility for each participating student while the student is under the provider's control; iii. provides religious instruction to participating students for between one to five hours weekly; and iv. demonstrates that the released time course instructor has similar qualifications as the charter school's or school district's instructors; c. any necessary transportation services relating to a released time course are provided by the released time course provider, participating students or the parents of participating students; and d. each participating student is responsible for completing any schoolwork the student misses because of released time course attendance, and would also stipulate each charter school and school district that allows students to attend a released time course must: a. award academic credit to each student who successfully completes the released time course; and b. count any time a student spends participating in a released time course during regular school hours as instructional time and hours to meet instructional time and hours requirements and to determine average daily membership and daily attendance, rather than leave the current rule unchanged.