Excused School Attendance for Religious Instruction
Summary
This bill amends South Carolina law governing excused school attendance for religious instruction. Under current law, school district boards of trustees may adopt a policy allowing students to leave school for privately conducted religious classes if certain conditions are met. The bill changes that permissive authority into a mandate by requiring each school district board of trustees to adopt such a policy.
The policy must still include safeguards: written parental or guardian consent, attendance records kept by the sponsoring religious entity and made available to the public school, transportation arranged and paid for by the sponsoring entity, parent, or guardian, liability assumed by the sponsoring entity, and no use of public funds or public school personnel. Students must make up missed work, may not be released from core academic subjects for religious instruction, and are not considered absent while attending the religious class.
Impact
The bill would directly amend Section 59-1-460 of the South Carolina Code of Laws by changing school districts’ discretion into a statewide requirement that every district board of trustees adopt a policy for excused attendance at private religious instruction. It would affect public school districts, parents or guardians seeking religious instruction for students, and private religious organizations that sponsor such classes, while preserving existing limits on public funding, school involvement, transportation responsibility, and student liability.
Sentiment
The available record does not include committee debate or recorded votes, so there is no documented opposition or support in the provided materials. Based on the text alone, the bill appears designed to expand access to religious instruction accommodations in public schools while keeping the program structured and limited to private, non-publicly funded participation.
Contention
The main policy issue is whether school districts should be required, rather than merely allowed, to adopt an excused-absence policy for religious instruction. Potential points of contention include the interaction between public education and religious activities, the administrative burden on districts, and concerns about ensuring that no public resources are used. Supporters would likely emphasize parental choice and accommodation of religious practice, while critics may focus on separation-of-church-and-state concerns, student instructional time, and district autonomy.
Requires school districts to establish a policy allowing students to be excused from class to receive religious or moral instruction off school property
Requires school districts to establish a policy allowing students to be excused from class to receive religious or moral instruction off school property
requiring schools to provide excused absences for certain religious instruction, defining released time courses, and permitting schools to adopt policies and provide credit for released time courses.