Released Time is not a Right and Schools Have a Say
Released time religious instruction (RTRI) has been a part of the public schools in the United States for over 100 years. Lifewise Academy has become the current poster child for RTRI. RTRI peaked in the 1940s with 2 million students in 2,000+ communities. As of June 2026, Lifewise has 65,000 students enrolled. The current estimates for all RTRI programs are 250,000 students. The narrative Lifewise Academy repeats is that RTRI is the “greatest missed opportunity of the American church.” RTRI enrollment has decreased 87% since its peak usage in the 1940s. The church didn’t miss it; it abandoned it. Disruptions, bullying, and misuse of school facilities are all reasons why the programs stopped.
In 1952, the Supreme Court ruled that RTRI is legal if the school and staff are neutral towards the religious program, it’s off school property, no public funds are used, and attendance is approved by the parents. Zorach v. Clauson held that RTRI is legal if the program models the one at issue in the case. After RTRI was officially declared legal, utilization began to decline to its current lowest level.
Many of the RTRI programs, by the 1940s, operated by releasing students during the last period of the school day. This model caused the least change to class schedules, limited the disruptions from students returning, and created a standard schedule for all students.
https://www.nytimes.com/1920/11/23/archives/hearing-is-closed-on-religious-hour-school-committee-will-consider.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://nyti.ms/4oyiWpq
https://www.nytimes.com/1941/09/25/archives/religious-study-days-changed.html?smid=url-share
Zorach stated that the religious classes occur at the end of class sessions.
Weekly reports of their attendance at such religious schools must be filed with their principal or teacher [par. 4]. Only one hour a week is to be allowed for such training, at the end of a class session [par. 5], and where more than one religious school is conducted, the hour of release shall be the same for all religious schools [par. 6].
Zorach v. Clauson (1952)
Students were released from the school and did not return. This is the reason for state laws and school board policies that require programs to track attendance and make that data available to the school. Lifewise Academy has created the image that, for decades, schools have operated by releasing students from classes. Lifewise says its “favorite” way to implement the program is to integrate it into the “specials” rotation.
Link to full presentation by Ben Ruprecht.
Gym, art, music, technology, library, and Lifewise. In an interview, Adam King, Director of Statewide Initiatives for Lifewise, said the Supreme Court ruled that RTRI can be included in the school’s “master schedule.” This is a made-up ruling he invented to convince the public that Lifewise can operate in its “favorite” way.
Lifewise’s desire to disrupt the school day while being integrated into the daily schedule was put on full display in Oldham County, Kentucky. Lifewise approached the district for approval and to coordinate a time for students to be released to Lifewise. Oldham County schools chose to release students during the last session of the day and allow the students to be sent home from Lifewise without returning to school. Lifewise refused this process and pushed back on the district. Even though the Supreme Court ruled that this was the legal and acceptable process for RTRI in schools.
These events lay bare the real intent of Lifewise Academy, to convert and coerce all students in the school to attend. Using ice cream parties, golden tickets, and any other incentives to boost enrollment. Lifewise Academy’s own employees state that the students are the best tool for increasing participation. Lifewise needs to disrupt the school day, so ALL students will notice.
The Secular Education Association has posted a video from the 2023 Lifewise National Summit, in which Lifewise also discusses using students to return to schools and recruit their classmates.
What Can Districts Do Wth This Information?
Depending on your state’s law, school districts may be required to coordinate a time that students can attend RTRI classes. In states that mandate RTRI, the end of the day, with the students being released home from the RTRI class, is the best option. If the state has no law mandating schools coordinate with RTRI programs, no policy is the best option. This allows for the parents and the RTRI program to coordinate a time if they wish. The parents sign the child out and facilitate the child’s attendance at the religious class.
First Liberty Institute attorney Matt Krause stated when testifying for Lifewise at the Ohio State House, “RTRI is not a right.” Regardless of state law and school board policy, there is no constitutional right to RTRI. School districts can provide a method, and Lifewise can choose to follow it or operate outside of school hours.
Lifewise Academy has attempted to coerce school districts, parents, and churches into believing that Lifewise programs are acting fully within the law by integrating into school schedules, using district buses, using school district property, and proselytizing to the student body. Lifewise does not care about parental rights, they are focused on recruiting as many students as possible.