Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill on Wednesday that protects the right of parents to have their children excused during the school day for religious or moral instruction. HB 1425 excuses a student for no more than three class periods per week, and participation requires written consent from a parent or legal guardian.
Religious or moral instruction via released time programs was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1952, and this Oklahoma law is granted the same protection under the First Amendment.
The requirements in the new Oklahoma statute protect both the school and the student by the following provisions: students participating in the “released time course” are held accountable for missed school work; schools are not allowed to facilitate, fund, or provide resources to religious or moral instruction; student attendance to the released time instruction is documented and can receive elective credit for participating; released time instruction cannot conflict with required school subjects or assessments; and instructors for these released time courses are independent from the school and are not required to be licensed or certified teachers.
Proponents of the bill noted the potential benefits of improving student attendance and moral training. A legislative study showed that 94 percent of students were in Oklahoma classrooms in 2019, but that has dropped to 80 percent following the COVID pandemic. Another study found that states with schools that participate in LifeWise Academy, an offsite Bible-based education program for public school students, had lower discipline rates and improved school-wide attendance.
Greg Chafuen, legal counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom, stated that “these programs accommodate parents’ desire for their children to receive religious instruction that public schools cannot provide.” Alliance Defending Freedom commended the Oklahoma legislature for giving parents the ability to direct the religious instruction of their kids.
