Arkansas School Still Runs Released-Time Program For Religious Instruction

Around the country, some public schools still have "released time" programs in which students, with their parent's permission, go off-premises for a portion of the day for religious studies. Today's Arkansas Democrat Gazette carries a lengthy description of the 70-year old overtly Christian released time program for grades K through 3 in Gravette, Arkansas. Once a week, volunteers escort the 95% of the children who participate down a 100-foot long sidewalk to Gravette’s Storytime Bible Studies building. The building is on a 50-foot wide piece of private property between the town's elementary and upper elementary schools. For 30 minutes, the children hear Bible stories and sing religious songs. The students who do not participate remain in class where teachers either go on with lesson plans or work individually with them. Until 1989, Gravette offered the Bible Studies program in the school building. However a federal district court, in a decision that was affirmed without opinion by the 8th Circuit, found that practice to be unconstitutional. Doe v. Human, 725 F. Supp. 1503 (WD AR, 1989) [LEXIS link], affd. 923 F.2d 857 (8th Cir., 1990).