{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-11-101.3","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 70-11-101.3","heading":"Released time course — Policy — Requirements","body":"A. As used in this section, “released time course” means a\n\nperiod of time during which a student is excused from school to\n\nattend a course in religious or moral instruction taught by an\n\nindependent entity off school property.\n\nB. Each school district board of education shall adopt a policy\n\nthat excuses a student from school to attend a released time course\n\nfor no more than three class periods per week or a maximum of one\n\nhundred twenty-five class periods per school year; provided, that:\n\n1. The student’s parent or legal guardian provides written\n\nconsent prior to the student’s participation in the released time\n\ncourse;\n\n2. No school district funds other than de minimis\n\nadministrative costs are expended and no school district personnel,\n\nequipment, or resources are involved in providing the instruction;\n\n3. The independent entity maintains attendance records and\n\nmakes them available to the school district and its board of\n\neducation;\n\n4. Any transportation provided to and from the place of\n\ninstruction is the sole responsibility of the independent entity,\n\nthe student, or the student’s parent or legal guardian;\n\n5. The independent entity or the student’s parent or legal\n\nguardian indemnifies the school district and holds it harmless with\n\nregard to any liability arising from conduct that does not occur on\n\nschool property under the control or supervision of the school\n\ndistrict, and the independent entity maintains adequate insurance\n\nfor that purpose;\n\n6. The student assumes responsibility for any missed school\n\nwork; and\n\n7. The school district superintendent, the principal for the\n\nschool site in which the student is enrolled, or their designees\n\nhave reasonable discretion over the scheduling and timing of\n\nreleased time courses; provided, the student may not be excused to\n\nparticipate in a released time course during any class in which the\n\nsubject matter being taught is subject to the assessment\n\nrequirements of Section 1210.508 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes.\n\nC. The school district, its board of education, and the state\n\nshall not be liable for the student who participates in a released\n\ntime course when the student is not under the control or supervision\n\nof the school district.\n\nD. Instructors hired by an independent entity to provide a\n\nreleased time course shall not be required to be licensed or\n\ncertified teachers.\n\nE. A student who attends a released time course shall be\n\nconsidered in attendance in the school district, and the time shall\n\nbe calculated as part of the school day.\n\nF. A school district board of education shall award a student\n\ncredit for work completed in a released time course that is\n\nsubstantiated by a transcript from the independent entity providing\n\nthe course. A student shall be awarded elective credit for the\n\ncompletion of each released time course. To determine whether\n\nelective credit may be awarded as provided for in this subsection,\n\nthe board of education shall evaluate the course in a neutral and\n\nsecular manner that does not involve any test for religious content\n\nor denominational affiliation. For purposes of this subsection, the\n\nsecular criteria used to evaluate a released time course may\n\ninclude:\n\n1. The amount of classroom instruction time;\n\n2. The course syllabus, which reflects the course requirements\n\nand any materials used in the course;\n\n3. Methods of assessment used in the course; and\n\n4. The qualifications of the course instructor.\n\nG. The provisions of this section shall not apply to charter\n\nschools established pursuant to Section 3-132 of Title 70 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes or charter schools or virtual charter schools\n\nestablished pursuant to Section 3-134 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes.","path":["OK Code","Title 70"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os70.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"91ee879f8409a625ea7ce7bbf9d45a129cb0cd449f00956bb7dea6eb86359af8","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-11-101.2","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-70-70-11-102"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}