EDUCATION · TEXAS STATE TRACKER
Texas Released-Time Religious Instruction & SB 1049 Tracker
Texas SB 1049 requires districts and open-enrollment charter schools to adopt a released-time policy and excuse qualifying parent-requested religious instruction. This tracker compares the enacted rules with local documents, without treating a policy or provider agreement as proof that classes are operating.
State law in effect · 8 districts reviewed · 3 document trackers
Research baseline: October 7, 2026. Local policy, provider approval, launch announcements and actual attendance are separate evidence categories. This is a selective district sample, not a statewide compliance audit.
Can Texas students leave school for religious instruction?
Yes, under the statutory conditions. SB 1049 creates Education Code §25.0875, covering a privately offered religious-instruction course. It requires a qualifying absence to be excused at a parent or legal guardian’s request, subject to the school’s release policy. The weekly range is at least one and no more than five hours. It does not require a child to participate or choose LifeWise.
Did the policy deadline pass? Yes. The act took effect September 1, 2025, and required districts and open-enrollment charter schools to adopt their policy by January 1, 2026. The deadline is in Section 3 of the act; it should not be mistaken for the effective date. Read the enacted text.
SB 1049 requirements: state law versus local choices
| Topic | Required statewide | What remains local or unverified |
|---|---|---|
| Policy and scope | Districts and open-enrollment charter schools must adopt a policy and excuse qualifying requests. | A district’s exact policy code, approval date and implementation documents require local records. |
| Weekly release time | At least 1 and no more than 5 hours each week, subject to the adopted policy. | The law is not proof of any child’s actual schedule. Confirm total time away, travel and class periods with the school. |
| Parent consent | Written consent from a parent or legal guardian. | Obtain the current campus or district form; provider enrollment alone does not document the school’s consent process. |
| Provider records | The private entity must maintain attendance records and make them available to the school. | Check submission method, timing and the response to a missed or canceled session. |
| Transport and disability | The private entity, parent/legal guardian or student assumes transport responsibility, including for a student with a disability. | No district bus service is established by this provision. Verify the actual travel and accessibility arrangements. |
| Provider care and liability | The private entity must make provisions for and assume liability while the student is in its care. | The reviewed section does not prescribe a background-check standard or insurance dollar amount. Local agreements or other law may add requirements. |
| Missed schoolwork | The student assumes responsibility for schoolwork issued during the absence. | Make-up arrangements and documentation must be confirmed with the school; see attendance guidance below. |
| Public funds | District or school funds may not facilitate the course, except de minimis costs. | The statutory exception is not blanket permission to finance instruction or transportation. |
| School property | Instruction on school property is restricted unless permitted by a neutral equal-access policy for community organizations. | A property-use exception is not automatic facility approval. Check the applicable policy and any actual agreement. |
| Access and discretion | The release policy may not interfere with a parent or guardian’s ability to request or access a course. | The reviewed §25.0875 contains no blanket core-class ban, statewide grade restriction or provider endorsement. Local rules must be assessed against the law. |
| Academic credit | SB 1049 does not itself award academic credit for a religious course. | An excused absence, attendance accounting and a course-credit award are different matters. No credit award is inferred from release permission. |
Legal baseline: SB 1049 §§1–4. The official code portal supplies the codification reference; the enrolled act supplies the directly reviewed operative text.
Texas district policy and provider-status comparison
Search a district, filter by evidence status, or sort the names. All eight entries remain visible without JavaScript. The three linked district pages contain deeper document reviews. “Unverified” means the specified evidence was not located in this review; it does not mean rejected, unlawful or nonexistent.
8 entries
| District | Evidence status | Policy or record | Time provision | Provider / evidence boundary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texarkana ISD | Approved provider agreement; operation unverified | FEF(LOCAL); addition approved December 15, 2025 | Local schedule unverified; state 1–5 hours | LifeWise MOU approved; attendance unverified |
| Plano ISD | Implementation confirmed; final vote not located | FEF(LEGAL) / FEF(LOCAL), district explanation | District says no more than 5 hours | No provider certified by reviewed official record |
| Houston ISD | Proposed policy; final adoption unverified | FEF(LOCAL), proposed attachment | Proposed 1–5 hours as parent requests | No provider certified by reviewed official record |
| Round Rock ISD | First reading and handbook located | Update 126 / FEF first reading | Prior-year handbook: up to 5 hours | Not verified |
| Carroll ISD | Policy document; adoption unverified | EMIA(LOCAL) released-time document | Document uses 1–5 hours | Not verified |
| Denton ISD | Reporting lead; official record pending | Final policy not located | Local schedule unverified | Not certified here |
| Boerne ISD | Launch-plan lead; operation unverified | Released-time final policy not located | Local schedule unverified | Plan reported; operation unverified |
| Frisco ISD | Handbook category only | Prior-year student handbook | Distinct local schedule not established | Not verified |
No matching entries. Clear the search or choose another status.
What the local documents actually distinguish
- Texarkana ISD: signed minutes establish a 2026–27 LifeWise agreement and a 7–0 consent-agenda vote. The full agreement and participating-school roster are still needed. Signed minutes, page 3.
- Plano ISD: an official implementation answer identifies FEF policies and principal guidance, with a five-hour ceiling. The dated adopted text and final vote remain unverified here. District explanation.
- Houston ISD: the proposed FEF text specifies 1–5 hours as requested by the parent or guardian. Its adoption fields are blank and the retrieved board item does not establish the outcome. Policy attachment; board record.
These sources do not establish three different operating schedules. A statewide range, a policy ceiling and an actual weekly timetable must not be substituted for one another.
Attendance, make-up work and academic credit
TEA’s adopted 2025–26 handbook includes qualifying released-time absences in its attendance-accounting guidance. It addresses supporting documentation and reasonable make-up opportunities, while warning that extensive absence can still affect credit or final grades. Counting a documented absence for attendance funding does not award academic credit for the private religious course. Adopted handbook, §3.6.3.
2026–27 status: the live TEA handbook index labels its 2026–27 edition proposed at this research baseline. The proposed text also includes released time, but this tracker does not present it as a final adopted rule. Families and attendance staff should confirm the applicable final edition and local procedure.
Texas implementation timeline
| Date | Documented event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| June 20, 2025 | Governor signed SB 1049; consult the official legislative history. | Texas Legislature |
| September 1, 2025 | Statutory effective date. | Act §4 |
| January 1, 2026 | Deadline for every covered district and charter school to adopt the required policy. | Act §3 |
| October 7, 2026 | Research baseline. No later amendment changing these SB 1049 provisions was located in the records reviewed; TEA’s 2026–27 handbook is still labeled proposed on its index. | TEA publication index |
The act is the legal baseline used here. This selective review is not a certification that every district met the deadline or that every possible court challenge has been reviewed.
Before submitting a released-time request
- Get the current adopted policy and school release form, then give the school written parental or guardian consent.
- Confirm the provider separately: instruction location, program terms, supervision, liability arrangements and any local screening or insurance requirements.
- Agree on departure and return times, transportation and disability-related arrangements. Ask how travel fits within the allowed absence.
- Establish how the provider reports attendance and how the student receives and completes missed schoolwork.
- Request the specific basis for any claimed academic credit; permission to leave class is not that basis.
These are document-checking steps. The statute does not select a provider, and a release request is distinct from private-course enrollment. State requirements.
Why some districts have no separate page yet
Round Rock has a first-reading record and a prior-year handbook; Carroll has an EMIA policy document without a verified final adoption. Denton and Boerne remain reporting leads pending stronger official records. Frisco’s handbook category alone is too limited for a useful standalone tracker. The table links the evidence and retains each uncertainty.
District selection prioritizes primary records, distinct parent questions and meaningful future updates. This is not a ranking of districts’ compliance, support for religion or program quality. A general school-prayer vote under a different law is not released-time implementation evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Are Texas school districts required to adopt a released-time policy?
Yes. SB 1049 requires districts and open-enrollment charter schools to adopt a policy; the act set January 1, 2026 as the deadline. Source
Does Texas allow one to five hours of religious instruction each week?
The statute requires qualifying parent-requested release for at least one and no more than five hours weekly, subject to the adopted policy. That range does not establish any student’s actual timetable. Source
Is LifeWise Academy required by SB 1049?
No. The law defines a privately offered religious-instruction course without selecting LifeWise or another named provider. Source
Who transports students, including students with disabilities?
The statute assigns responsibility to the private entity, parent or legal guardian, or student and expressly includes transportation for students with disabilities. Source
Can public school buildings be used?
The law restricts school-property use but includes an exception for a neutral equal-access policy allowing community organizations. The exception is not automatic permission for a particular program. Source
Does released time count as academic credit?
SB 1049 does not itself award credit for the religious course. Attendance accounting, missed-work completion and academic credit must be considered separately. Source
Is the TEA 2026–27 handbook final?
The TEA publication index labels it proposed at this October 7, 2026 review. This tracker identifies it as a proposal and separately links the adopted 2025–26 edition. Source
Source and document library
Research baseline: October 7, 2026. Source type and document vintage are shown below. A provider statement, agenda and final adopted policy establish different facts.
- SB 1049 enrolled text: Education Code §25.0875 and implementation dates
Enacted Texas legislation. Sections 1–4; effective September 1, 2025. Policy adoption due January 1, 2026. Reviewed October 7, 2026.
- Texas SB 1049 official bill summary
Legislature. Enactment and effective-date confirmation.
- Texas Education Code, Chapter 25 — official code portal
Official codification reference. Relevant provisions: §§25.087, 25.0875 and 25.092. The portal redirected during direct retrieval; the operative §25.0875 text was verified against enrolled SB 1049. See the enrolled-text link if the deep link does not resolve.
- TEA Student Attendance Accounting Handbook editions
Official agency publication index. At this review, TEA labels the 2026–27 handbook proposed. An edition label is not proof of final adoption.
- TEA adopted 2025–26 attendance handbook, §3.6.3
Adopted agency guidance — prior school year. Page 64 discusses released-time attendance accounting; adjacent guidance addresses documentation and missed work. Do not relabel this as the adopted 2026–27 edition.
- TEA proposed 2026–27 attendance handbook, §3.6.3
Proposed agency guidance. Page 66 includes the released-time category. Draft status is retained as shown on TEA’s publication index at the research baseline.
- Texarkana ISD signed minutes — August 25, 2026
Approved meeting minutes. Page 3 was visually reviewed: the 2026–27 LifeWise MOU is item 7 in the consent agenda approved 7–0. This establishes agreement approval, not student attendance.
- Plano ISD community input Q&A — February 23, 2026
Official district implementation explanation. The SB 1049 answer identifies FEF(LEGAL), FEF(LOCAL), Update 126 and written principal guidance. It does not supply a final vote date or identify an operating provider.
- Houston ISD file 26-175 — FEF(LOCAL) second reading
Official board item and recommendation. June 11, 2026 item recommends approval with a June 12 effective date. The retrieved record had no final-action date or action history; the recommendation is not treated as an adopted policy.
- Round Rock ISD board meeting — November 20, 2025
Official meeting recording and transcript. Update 126, including FEF, appears at first reading. A separate final adopted policy and program operation remain unverified.
- Carroll ISD EMIA(LOCAL) released-time policy document
Official board policy material. Study of Religion: Released Time Course uses the EMIA code. A dated final adoption and corresponding minutes were not established in this review.
- CBS Texas reporting — August 27, 2026
Independent reporting; research lead. Denton implementation warrants an official-record follow-up. This lead is not used to certify a participating-school roster or adopted policy.
- San Antonio Express-News — Boerne released-time reporting
Independent reporting; launch-plan lead. A reported fall 2026 provider plan warrants follow-up. A plan is not a verified operating program; school-prayer policy records address a different law.
- Frisco ISD student handbook
Official district handbook. The retrieved 2025–26 edition includes religious released time among excused absences. This alone does not establish a differentiated local policy or a provider’s operation.
- Texarkana ISD Board Briefs — August 25, 2026
Official board-action summary. Independently identifies approval of an MOU with LifeWise Academy for 2026–27; agreement text and school roster are not included.
- Texarkana ISD Board Briefs — December 15, 2025
Official board-action summary. Reports approval of Update 126, including addition of FEF(LOCAL), Attendance—Released Time, and a revised LifeWise MOU. The summary does not provide the full policy, agreement or roll-call tally.
- Plano ISD policies and regulations directory
Official policy directory. Starting point for the current policy manual. A dated final FEF(LOCAL) text and adoption roll call were not independently retrieved for this edition.
- Houston ISD FEF(LOCAL): Attendance — Released Time
Official proposed policy attachment. One-page text specifies 1–5 hours as requested by a parent or legal guardian. DATE ISSUED and Adopted fields are blank; final adoption was not established by this attachment.
- Houston ISD agenda — May 14, 2026
Official first-reading agenda. Item 23 schedules FEF(LOCAL) at first reading. An agenda establishes scheduled consideration, not the outcome.
- Houston ISD June 11, 2026 meeting record
Official meeting index. Lists the second-reading item. At review the meeting portal did not provide a usable action result establishing final FEF adoption.
- Round Rock ISD 2025–26 student handbook
Official prior-year handbook. Released-time passage discusses up to five hours, advance written parent notice, attendance records and make-up work. Current-year local policy needs a separate review.
Update log and next records
Published source-linked findings with separate labels for law, policy, provider agreements, announced launches and activity. Next review: newly enacted amendments, remaining state classifications, local adopted policies and documented launch outcomes.
Updates require a dated source and a stated change in status. No automatic monitoring schedule is active. Submit a documented correction · Editorial standards.
Explore the released-time network
National laws and research register · Ohio law and district status · North Carolina law and district status · Texas SB 1049 and district status · Bedford County, Tennessee
Wake County · Cumberland County / Fayetteville · Edenton-Chowan · Bladen County / Bladenboro · Texarkana ISD · Plano ISD · Houston ISD · Westerville · Upper Arlington · Hilliard · Twinsburg