LOCAL EDUCATION · TEXAS
Houston ISD Released-Time Religious Instruction Policy Tracker
Houston ISD’s board records place FEF(LOCAL), Attendance—Released Time, on a May 2026 first-reading agenda and a June 2026 second-reading agenda. The proposed text is available. A final action, adopted date and provider operation were not established by the records reviewed.
Proposed policy; final adoption unverified
Policy, provider plans and actual operation are tracked separately. Research baseline: October 7, 2026.
Current status and local rules
| Question | Finding | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Exact policy title | FEF(LOCAL), Attendance: Released Time. The one-page attachment has blank DATE ISSUED and Adopted fields, so it is treated as proposed text. | Document / record |
| Board record and proposed effective date | File 26-175 recommends second-reading approval on June 11, 2026, with a June 12 effective date. The retrieved item had no completed final-action entry; no vote tally is asserted. | Document / record |
| Proposed weekly hours | The attachment specifies at least one and no more than five hours each week, as requested by the parent or legal guardian. This is proposed policy wording, not a verified campus timetable. | Document / record |
| Proposed consent and attendance procedures | Written parental/legal-guardian consent; provider attendance records available to the district; safe release, appropriate authorization and accurate attendance records. | Document / record |
| Proposed transportation, liability and work | Provider, parent/guardian or student assumes transport, including disability-related transport. Provider assumes liability while the child is in its care; student is responsible for missed schoolwork. | Document / record |
| Proposed public-resource rules | The attachment repeats the de minimis funding exception, refers property access to GKD, and says the policy may not interfere with a parent’s request or access. | Document / record |
| Provider and participating schools | No provider or participating-school roster is identified in the reviewed FEF attachment. No Houston ISD LifeWise operating program is claimed. | Document / record |
| Screening, insurance and credit | The one-page proposal sets no specific background-check standard, insurance dollar amount or religious-course credit award. Other applicable documents would require separate review. | Document / record |
What Houston’s proposed FEF(LOCAL) would require
The proposed policy gives parents a concrete document to compare with the current campus procedure. In addition to the state conditions, it opens with safe-release and attendance-administration language and cross-references the district’s GKD property-use policy.
The weekly provision ties the one-to-five-hour range to the parent or guardian’s request. That wording is more specific than merely listing a five-hour ceiling. It still does not identify actual departure times, days, eligible campuses or a private provider.
Why the second reading is not labeled final adoption
The board item requests approval and proposes an effective date. The attached policy leaves its adoption fields blank, and the retrieved meeting record did not establish the final outcome. These documents support a proposed-policy tracker; they do not support a statement that the board approved it on June 11.
This evidence gap is not a finding that Houston rejected released time or missed the January 2026 statutory deadline. A later policy-code addition or revision can coexist with an earlier procedure. Determining compliance would require the full policy history and final board records.
Records Houston parents should request
Ask the district for the current adopted FEF(LOCAL), its effective date and the approved minutes recording the action. Then ask the campus for the written-consent and sign-out process, provider attendance reporting, transportation arrangements and make-up-work procedure.
For a provider-specific proposal, request the actual agreement and any screening or insurance documentation required under applicable local rules. The general FEF proposal neither names LifeWise nor certifies a program’s safety procedures or operating status.
Board actions and implementation timeline
| Date | Record type | Finding |
|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2026 | First-reading agenda | Item 23 schedules FEF(LOCAL) for first reading; the agenda alone does not establish passage. Source |
| June 11, 2026 | Second-reading item | File 26-175 recommends approval; June 12 is the proposed effective date, not a verified adoption outcome. Source |
| October 7, 2026 | Evidence review | Proposed text and meeting records checked; a final action and dated adopted policy were not located. Source |
How the Texas law applies
The enacted state framework requires a release policy, qualifying parent-requested absences, written consent, provider attendance records and liability, privately arranged transport including for disability-related needs, and responsibility for missed work. The statutory weekly range is 1–5 hours. Public-funding and property restrictions have limited exceptions.
Read SB 1049. The Texas statewide tracker separates those requirements from local choices and explains TEA guidance, attendance and academic credit.
Frequently asked questions
Did Houston ISD finally approve FEF(LOCAL) on June 11, 2026?
The retrieved record recommends second-reading approval but does not establish the final action. This tracker therefore keeps adoption unverified. Source
Is June 12, 2026 the verified policy effective date?
It is the date proposed in the staff recommendation. A final adopted date was not established by the retrieved record. Source
How many hours does Houston’s proposal allow?
The attachment specifies a weekly range of one to five hours as requested by the parent or legal guardian. Source
Does the proposal select LifeWise Academy?
No provider is named in the reviewed FEF(LOCAL) attachment. It cannot establish a LifeWise launch or participating-school roster. Source
Does the missing final record prove noncompliance with SB 1049?
No. The research gap does not establish the complete earlier policy history or a legal compliance conclusion. 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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
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 · Westerville · Upper Arlington · Hilliard · Twinsburg