Newton County Christian Learning Center-CLC

the United States was first discussed in 1905 at a conference in New York City. The proposal was at first that public elementary schools should be closed one day during the school week so those parents who so desired could have their children attend religious instruction outside of the school building. However, it was not until 1914 that Dr. William Wirt, an innovative educator and superintendent of the Gary, Indiana schools, established a program in 1914 in which 619 students participated in off-campus religious education. Dr. Wirt believed that the church, home, playground, library, and school were all components in a child’s education. The public schools, however, had and still have no responsibility for teachers, curriculum, conduct, or achievement within the Released Time classes. Released Time grew and flourished. In 1922, for example, Released Time programs were active in 23 states. 40,000 students from 200 school districts were participating. By 1932, thirty states had active Released Time Programs in 400 communities with enrollment of 250,000 students. Ten years later, in 1942, participation reached 1.5 million students in 46 states. Released Time peaked in 1947 with 2 million students enrolled in 2,200 communities. During this time, 12 states adopted favorable Released Time legislation. Currently, it is estimated that there are over 1,000 Released Time Programs in operation today involving over 250,000 students in kindergarten through high school. The legality of a Released Time Program recognizes and reinforces the constitutionally protected right of parents to direct the religious education of their children. Released Time gives the opportunity for all children to be released from school time for off premises attendance at the religious education classes of their choice, or not to be released. Before school and after school programs would not allow equal access for all children due to transportation problems and extra- curricular activities. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of Released Time programs:

“We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being. When the State encourages religious instruction or cooperates with religious authorities by adjusting the schedule of public events to sectarian needs, it then follows the best of our traditions, for it then respects the religious nature of our people and accommodates the public services to their spiritual needs. To hold that it may not be constitutional would be to find in the Constitution a requirement that the government show a callous indifference to religious groups. That would be preferring those who believe in no religion over those who do believe. We find no constitutional requirement which makes it necessary for government to be hostile to religion and to throw its weight against efforts to widen the effective scope of religious influence.”
--Justice William O. Douglas, Zorach v. Clauson (1952)

(source: www.releasetime.org)