As set by the Supreme Court case Zorach v. Clauson, Released Time for Religious Instruction, or RTRI, is time allowed for students to be released from public school during public school hours to receive religious instruction at an institution located outside of school grounds.

Organizations must adhere to the following criteria:

1. The program must be opt-in, not opt-out, with parents or guardians giving permission for their children to participate.

2. The program may not use public school funds or resources in any way or circumstance.

3. Students may not miss core classes

4. School officials must not solicit or recruit pupils for religious instruction; no promotion, endorsement, or publicizing of the released time program by school officials is allowed.

5. The program must be held off-site, not on any portion of school grounds.

Yes! While the Supreme Court has upheld the legality of RTRI programs (Zorach v. Clauson, 1952), participation by schools is voluntary, and public schools are under no obligation to accommodate. Schools may refuse if RTRI disrupts operations, compromises instructional time, or raises constitutional concerns. It is worthy of note that the State of Washington currently has no state-wide legislation regarding RTRI.

No. We support the rights of families to practice their religious freedom, and occasionally make use of RTRI. Examples such being excused from school to participate in the religious holidays of Ramadan and Yom Kippur, and to leave school early to attend religious services which start as the sun sets earlier in winter, are just a few good uses of RTRI by individual families. We oppose systemic RTRI programs, operating during public school hours, which are designed for maximum disruption of the maximum number of students during the school day.

We firmly believe in the separation of church and state, and the sanctity of our public schools. Public schools must be bastions of acceptance and inclusivity, fostering guided exchanges of ideas and learning. They must not advance any religion over another, nor promote the idea that one must even have a religion.

Groups like LifeWise, Weekday Religious Education, the Satanic Temple’s HAIL program, and others not only disrupt the business and routine of the school day, but by design also sanction “othering” through discrimination, intimidation, and bullying. Programs such as these target elementary school children well below the age of discernment, and prey upon their innocence and enthusiasm, encouraging them to proselytize to their friends and classmates. Students are given incentives like ice cream parties for increasing attendance numbers. Such organizations subscribe to a specific worldview, none of which follow Washington state education policies for diversity and inclusion.

And, while RTRI programs claim to be privately funded, they often rely on public resources. For example, schools may be required to adjust schedules, staff to manage attendance or transportation, or administrators to handle program logistics. These activities divert taxpayer-funded resources away from their intended purpose—supporting public education.