Ohio School Boards Association Conference, Released Time for Religious Instruction Session, Columbus, OH

Provide Bible Education in Your Public School District

Released time for religious instruction is the topic of a session scheduled at the upcoming Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus for Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., room A216; also School Ministries Ohio booth 119 in Exhibition Hall (Nov. 13-14) . This presentation explains what “released time” is and how it is legal for public school students to elect to engage in the devotional study of their faith offsite during the school day, without cost to taxpayers and with written parental permission.

Invite your district’s board members, administrators and educators to attend Tuesday’s informational session and stop by the School Ministries Ohio booth to see if your district already has – or may adopt – a released time policy for religious instruction.

While 63.8% of all public school districts in Ohio have a policy approving released time religious education, many of those communities have not yet offered religious programming for students of their districts. “Released time for religious instruction” is the topic of a session scheduled at the upcoming Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus for Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 1:30 – 2:30 p.m., room A216. This presentation explains what “released time” is and how it is legal for public school students to elect to engage in the devotional study of their faith offsite during the school day, without cost to taxpayers and with written parental permission. O.R.C. §3313.6022 also provides that high school students may earn elective academic credit under specified conditions. Listed in the Community Engagement, Board Development and Special Interest learning tracks, this session will be led by the executive director of a statewide ministry which supports communities offering released time Bible education, and will feature the Superintendent, a board member and student from a district offering Released Time, as well as the perspective of an attorney specially trained in constitutional issues, who serves on the board of a released time Bible education provider.