Milwaukee School District
Step 1 of 10
Collect 50 Signatures (Step Descriptions)
Signatures

25

People who signed Lifewise's petition

State Law

Wisconsin is a
"Shall" state

Learn more about state laws.

Location Map Milwaukee, WI 53208 Milwaukee County
Lifewise Local Program Website Link (opens in a new tab)
District Poverty Rate 29.9% (data source)
Non-White Students 91.1% (data source)
NCES Link NCES District Info
Last Updated January 18, 2026
Wisconsin State Law

Schools are required to allow students to be released for religious programs. This does not mean schools do not have the ability to create policies that protect the school's instruction time.
Read more about "May" and "Shall" state laws

Full Law Text Link to State Law

118.155 Released time for religious instruction.

(1) Any school board shall, without approval of the state superintendent, permit pupils with written permission of a parent or guardian to be absent from school at least 60 minutes but not more than 180 minutes per week to obtain religious instruction outside the school during the required school period. The supervisor of such religious instruction shall report monthly, to the principal of the school regularly attended, the names of the pupils who attended such weekly religious instruction. The school board may deny the privilege of released time to pupils who absent themselves from such religious instruction after requesting the privilege. The time period, or periods, allotted for the pupil to be absent from school for the purpose of religious instruction shall be determined by the school board.
(2) Any transportation to religious instruction or from religious instruction to the public school shall be the responsibility of the parents or of the organization sponsoring the religious instruction.
(3) The school district shall be released from all liability for a pupil who is absent from school in accordance with sub. (1).

What Can My School District Do?

All school districts, regardless of whether they are required by law to allow released time, should implement good policy and be prepared for when a released time program may approach the district. The time to set the policy is before an active program is pressuring the district. Research polices the district can implement to protect teachers' and students' instruction time. Set polices that limit disruptions to students and the ability for proselytization to occur, impacting other students of faith or no faith. A more detailed write-up on school board policies can be read here.

Share With Others Click to Copy Click to share
Schools in the District (157)
School Step Description Grades Period Signatures
Alcott ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Bruce ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Golda Meir SchoolStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Hamilton HighStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Hampton ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 2
Longfellow ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Manitoba ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Milwaukee College Preparatory School -- 36th Street CampusStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 7
Milwaukee College Preparatory School -- 38th StreetStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Milwaukee School Of LanguagesStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Stuart ElementaryStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Wedgewood Park SchoolStep 1 Collect 50 Signatures 1
Academy Of Accelerated LearningStep 0 No Progress 0
Alba - Academia De Lenguaje Y Bellas ArtesStep 0 No Progress 0
Allen-Field ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Alliance School Of MilwaukeeStep 0 No Progress 0
Andrew S Douglas MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
ASSATA HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Audubon Technology And Communication HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Audubon Technology And Communication MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Auer Avenue ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Banner Preparatory School of MilwaukeeStep 0 No Progress 0
Barbee ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Barton ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Bay View HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Bay View Montessori SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Bethune AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Bradley Technology HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Brown Street AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Browning ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Bryant ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Burbank ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Burdick ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Carmen Hi Southeast CampusStep 0 No Progress 0
Carmen High School Of Science And Technology South CampusStep 0 No Progress 0
Carmen Mid-Hi Northwest CampusStep 0 No Progress 0
Carmen Middle School Of Science And Technology South CampusStep 0 No Progress 0
Carson AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Carver AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Cass Street ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Clarke Street ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Clemens ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Clement Avenue ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Congress ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Cooper ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Craig Montessori SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Curtin ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Daniels University Preparatory AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Doerfler ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Eighty-First Street ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Elm Creative Arts ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Emerson ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Engleburg ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Fairview ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Fernwood MontessoriStep 0 No Progress 0
Fifty-Third Street ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Forest Home ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Franklin ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Fratney ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Gaenslen ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Garland ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Goodrich ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Grandview HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Grant ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Grant Gordon Learning CenterStep 0 No Progress 0
Grantosa Drive ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Green Tree Preparatory AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Greenfield BilingualStep 0 No Progress 0
Groppi HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Hapa-Hmong American Peace Academy K3-12Step 0 No Progress 0
Hartford Avenue ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Hawley Environmental SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Hayes Bilingual SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Hi-Mount ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Highland Community SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Holmes ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Honey Creek ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Hopkins Lloyd Community SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Humboldt Park ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
IdealStep 0 No Progress 0
Jackson ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
James Madison Academic CampusStep 0 No Progress 0
Kagel ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Keefe Avenue ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Kilbourn ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
King InternationalStep 0 No Progress 0
King International Baccalaureate MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
King Jr ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Kluge ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
La Causa Charter SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Lad Lake Synergy SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Lafollette ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Lancaster ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Lincoln Avenue ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Lincoln MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Lowell International ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Macdowell Montessori School K3-12Step 0 No Progress 0
Maple Tree ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Marshall HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Maryland MontessoriStep 0 No Progress 0
Metcalfe ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee Academy Of Chinese LanguageStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee College Preparatory School -- Lloyd StreetStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee College Preparatory School: Lola Rowe North CampusStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee County Youth Education CenterStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee Environmental Science AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee Excellence Charter SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee French ImmersionStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee German ImmersionStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee High School Of The ArtsStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee Parkside SchoolStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee Sign Language ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Milwaukee Spanish ImmersionStep 0 No Progress 0
Mitchell ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Morgandale ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Morse MidStep 0 No Progress 0
Neeskara ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Next Door CharterStep 0 No Progress 0
Ninety-Fifth Street ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
North Division HighStep 0 No Progress 0
NOVA-Northwest Opportunities Vocational AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Obama School Of Career And Technical EducationStep 0 No Progress 0
Parkview ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Pratt ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Project STAY-Supporting Teachers and YouthStep 0 No Progress 0
Pulaski HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Reagan College Preparatory HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Riley ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
River Trail ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Riverside HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Riverwest ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Rogers Street AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Roosevelt MiddleStep 0 No Progress 0
Shalom HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Sherman ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Siefert ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
South Accelerated AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
South Division HighStep 0 No Progress 0
SoutheasternStep 0 No Progress 0
Starms DiscoveryStep 0 No Progress 0
Starms Early ChildhoodStep 0 No Progress 0
Story ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Thoreau ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Thurston Woods ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Townsend Street ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Transition HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Trowbridge Street School Of Great Lakes StudiesStep 0 No Progress 0
Victory ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Vieau ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Vincent Accelerated AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Vincent HighStep 0 No Progress 0
Westside AcademyStep 0 No Progress 0
Whitman ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Whittier ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
Whs Information TechnologyStep 0 No Progress 0
Wisconsin Conservatory Of Lifelong LearningStep 0 No Progress 0
Zablocki ElementaryStep 0 No Progress 0
147 schools not shown
19
Show/Hide All Schools
Local Personel Download All Lifewise Personel List
Title Name Email Active

Launch Steps History
Step
Description
Signatures
Date
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
25
January 16, 2026
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
24
December 31, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
22
December 4, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
21
August 12, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
20
March 4, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
18
February 2, 2025
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
17
December 31, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
14
September 18, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
13
June 20, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
12
April 26, 2024
Step 1
Collect 50 Signatures
11
March 25, 2024
 
Associated Organizations
Org Type Org Name Address Website
Submit churches, businesses and non-profits that support Lifewise.

 



Respect Public Schools
Contact Info
keithc@respectpublicschools.com
Privacy Policy
Copyright 2026
Paid for by Keith Comer