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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.
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Sec. 25.0875. EXCUSED ABSENCE TO ATTEND RELEASED TIME COURSE. (a) In this section, "released time course" means a course in religious instruction offered by a private entity.

(b) A school district or open-enrollment charter school shall, on the request of a parent or legal guardian of a student enrolled at the district or school and subject to the policy adopted under Subsection (c), excuse the student from attending school to attend a released time course for at least one but not more than five hours a week.

(c) Each school district and open-enrollment charter school shall adopt a policy for excusing a student enrolled at the district or school from attending school to attend a released time course. The policy:

(1) must require:

(A) the student's parent or legal guardian to provide written consent for the student to attend the released time course;

(B) the private entity offering the released time course to maintain attendance records and make the records available to the district or school at which the student is enrolled;

(C) the private entity, parent or legal guardian, or student to assume responsibility for transportation, including transportation for a student with a disability, to and from any location at which the released time course is offered;

(D) the private entity to make provisions for and assume liability for the student enrolled in the released time course while the student is under the private entity's care; and

(E) the student to assume responsibility for any schoolwork issued during the student's absence;

(2) must prohibit:

(A) the district or school from using district or school funds, excluding de minimis costs, to facilitate the provision of a released time course; and

(B) the private entity from offering the released time course on district or school property, unless permitted under a neutral policy of equal access that allows community organizations to use district or school property; and

(3) may not interfere with the ability of the student's parent or legal guardian to request or access a released time course for the student.


Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1140 (S.B. 1049), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025.

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.