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Texas Education Code - EDUC § 25.0875. Excused Absence to Attend Released Time Course

Current as of January 01, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(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.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Texas Education Code - EDUC § 25.0875. Excused Absence to Attend Released Time Course - last updated January 01, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/education-code/educ-sect-25-0875/

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