Cutrona Introduces Legislation to Require School Districts to Grant Excused Absences for Religious Release Time Programs

State Rep. Al Cutrona (R-Canfield) this week introduced legislation that would require school district boards of education in Ohio to adopt a policy that authorizes students to be excused from school to attend a religious release time program.

“More and more parents in Ohio would like their children to participate in religious release time programs,” said Cutrona. “By being proactive in considering how release time programs work before groups of parents ask for an option, school districts will be in the best position to tailor a program that works within the academic framework of the district.”

This legislation would require school districts across the state to prepare for the eventuality that parents would like a release time option by creating a policy to guide this activity in the future.

In 2014, the Ohio General Assembly passed a bi-partisan bill that built a framework in Ohio law for religious release time programs.

Under current Ohio law, a release time program may only be conducted by a third party and not on school property. The third party is responsible for transporting children to and from the release time location. Children may only participate in a release time program if their parents enroll them.

The legislation awaits a bill number and assignment to a House committee.