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AA436 – Released Time for Religious Instruction

  • Effective: 12/13/1988
  • Revision: 9/22/2015

  1. Board Directive
    The Board of Education allows secondary students to be released from school during the regular school day for the purpose of attending classes in religious instruction.  The Board holds that this policy does not violate the Constitutional requirement for separation of church and state so long as the school system and the particular church providing the religious instruction during the released time remain separate and neither institution invades the domain of the other.  Released time for religious instruction is not to be confined to any one religion.  The Board delegates to the District Administration responsibility for implementing this policy in compliance with Utah law and in accordance with State and District policy.
  2. Administrative Policy
    The Administration directs the Administrators of Schools to work with secondary school principals to implement a program which honors parental requests for student released time for religious instruction during the school day according to the following administrative policy provisions:

    1. Students will be granted released time for religious instruction only upon the written request of their parents or legal guardian.
    2. Released time is limited to one (1) class period per day.
    3. Released time is not to be granted during times when it interferes with completion of the student's regular course of study or with classes required for graduation.
    4. School credit will not be awarded for released time classes.
    5. School personnel shall not monitor attendance, maintain records, or perform any other work related to released time classes.
    6. Records of released time class attendance, released time grades, marks or other released time information are not to be included on the student's school report card or other school records.
    7. Released time class instructors are not members of the school faculty nor are they to be included as faculty members or considered faculty members in any school functions.
    8. Public school teachers, administrators, or other officials may not request released time instructors to exercise functions or assume responsibilities for public school programs which commingle activities of the two institutions.
    9. School publications shall not publish articles, pictures, reports, or records related to released time class functions or activities.