LOCAL EDUCATION · OHIO
Upper Arlington Released-Time Religious Instruction Tracker
Upper Arlington’s current posted Policy 5223 combines a once-weekly frequency limit, protection of all graded courses, conditional high-school credit and detailed sponsor screening requirements. The latest revision printed in the policy is December 9, 2025.
Adopted
Policy, provider plans and actual operation are tracked separately. Research baseline: October 7, 2026.
Current status and local rules
| Question | Finding | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Policy / latest located action | Policy 5223; adopted May 10, 2016, revised May 13 and December 9, 2025. Specific vote totals were not located. | Document / record |
| Weekly release limit | No more than once per week; superintendent/designee establishes reasonable frequency and duration. The reviewed policy does not define a fixed number of minutes. | Document / record |
| Core subjects protected | All graded courses, including courses with state-approved learning standards. | Document / record |
| High-school credit | May earn up to two units under secular course-review criteria. No approved LifeWise course or individual award was verified. | Document / record |
| Screening | Checks for all instructors/volunteers at no board cost; updated documentation on request and annual acknowledgment. Unsatisfactory checks or disqualifying convictions can prevent release. | Document / record |
| Provider / program status | No current official provider arrangement, participating-school roster or operating attendance was verified in this edition. | Document / record |
| Consent | Written parent or guardian consent is required. | Document / record |
| Attendance / make-up work | Sponsor keeps attendance records available to the district. Qualifying attendance is not a school absence; the student remains responsible for missed work. | Document / record |
| Transportation | Sponsor, parent, guardian or student is responsible. Ohio expressly includes transportation for students with disabilities; no district transport entitlement is created by this provision. | Document / record |
| Public resources / location | Instruction must be privately provided off district property. Public funds and school personnel may not provide the religious instruction. | Document / record |
| Provider liability / insurance | Sponsor must provide for and assume liability. A specific current insurance amount or district agreement was not verified in this review. | Document / record |
| Participating schools / enrollment | No current district-issued participating-school roster or attendance count was verified. No school list is inferred from the policy. | Document / record |
Can an Upper Arlington student earn high-school credit?
The local policy provides for up to two units, subject to review of instruction hours, syllabus and materials, assessments and comparable instructor qualifications. The decision must be religiously neutral. Credit may substitute for the electives referenced in ORC 3313.603(C)(8). Eligibility under this policy does not establish that LifeWise or any other course has received approval. Local credit provisions.
Before enrolling for credit, obtain the district’s written course determination and transcript treatment. Permission to leave school, time spent away and a completed credit award are three separate decisions.
Once weekly and protection of graded courses
The district’s policy limits frequency to once weekly and leaves reasonable duration to the superintendent or designee. It does not translate that visit into a fixed minute allowance. Its core-course definition covers all graded courses. An assumed lunch, elective or study-period opening should be confirmed against the individual timetable. Policy 5223.
The state law separately requires boards to adopt a qualifying release policy and collaborate with sponsors on school-day timing. Older permissive language in a local document does not replace the current statute. State requirements.
How sponsor checks are documented
The posted policy requires checks for instructors and volunteers, annual certification and updated documentation when requested. It addresses disqualifying convictions and satisfactory checks for new or subsequent staff. The provider bears the cost. These are documented local requirements; Ohio’s separate statute permits boards to adopt screening rules rather than imposing a single statewide checking procedure. District safeguards · State enabling provision.
A current insurance certificate, provider agreement and actual school roster were not located. Their absence from this review is not a finding that no such records exist.
Board actions and implementation timeline
| Date | Record type | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2016 | Adoption | Original adoption date in posted Policy 5223. Source |
| April 8, 2025 | First reading | Official board update describes a first reading; not final action by itself. Source |
| May 13, 2025 | Revision | Historical revision date preserved in policy text. Source |
| December 9, 2025 | Revision | Latest revision date printed in the live policy. Source |
How current Ohio law applies
Ohio requires a qualifying release policy and at least one period weekly, written parental consent, sponsor attendance records and liability, private transportation, responsibility for missed work and protection of core courses. The two-period elementary/middle and high-school time-equivalent limits are defaults that district policy may change. Credit awards are separate and conditional.
Current law · Ohio statewide law, timeline and comparison. Local unknowns above are not filled by assuming a district adopted the state default verbatim.
Frequently asked questions
Does Upper Arlington allow two credits for LifeWise?
Policy 5223 permits up to two units for a qualifying released-time course after a secular, religiously neutral evaluation. This review did not locate approval of a particular LifeWise course. Source
Can a student leave a graded elective?
The posted policy treats all graded courses as core curriculum and bars release from core courses. The school must confirm a permissible time. Source
How often can students leave?
The policy says no more than once weekly and assigns reasonable duration to the superintendent or designee. It does not publish a fixed minute allowance. Source
Are provider background checks required locally?
Yes. The policy requires checks for instructors and volunteers, annual acknowledgment and updated documentation on request, at no cost to the board. 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.
- Upper Arlington Policy 5223 — released time
District-linked adopted policy manual. Adopted May 10, 2016; revised May 13 and December 9, 2025. Live text retrieved October 7, 2026. Manual index updated August 31, 2026.
- Upper Arlington board update — April 8, 2025
Official board-action summary. Identifies a first reading of Policy 5223. A first reading alone does not establish adoption.
- Ohio Revised Code §3313.6022 — current law
Current Ohio statute. Effective January 19, 2026, HB 57. Divisions A–G verified against the live official code on October 7, 2026.
- Ohio Revised Code §3313.6030 — criminal records checks
Current Ohio statute. Effective April 9, 2025. Permits district policies to require sponsor instructor/volunteer checks and determine their manner.
Update log and next records
Published source-linked findings with separate labels for law, policy, provider agreements, announced launches and activity. Next review: current adopted policy, approved minutes, school consent procedures and confirmation of any operating program.
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
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