🛑 GEORGIA ALERT: HB 1352 is Moving Fast!

Is religious instruction coming to your child’s public school schedule? HB 1352 (The “Student Character Development Act”) was just introduced in the House, and it aims to change the boundary between church and state in Georgia schools.

🔍 What is HB 1352?

Currently, Georgia school districts can choose whether or not to allow “Released Time”—a practice where students leave campus during the school day for private religious instruction.

HB 1352 would change this from a choice to a MANDATE. If passed, by August 1, 2026, every single school district in Georgia would be required to allow students to leave school for at least one hour per week for these courses.

🚩 Why this matters:

No More Local Choice: It strips local school boards of their power to decide what’s best for their specific community and mandates it from the state level.

Academic Credit for Religion: The bill allows districts to award high school credit for these private religious classes, blurring the line between secular academics and private devotion.

Instructional Loss: When students leave during the day, it disrupts the learning flow for everyone else and can create social pressure for students who stay behind.

🏫 Our Position

We believe religious education is a private matter for families and houses of worship. Public school hours should be dedicated to a secular, inclusive, and evidence-based curriculum for all students.

📣 WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW:

1️⃣ Share this post! Most parents and teachers haven’t heard about HB 1352 yet. Help us get the word out so our community can stay informed before this moves further in the House.

2️⃣ Start a Conversation. Education starts with awareness. Talk to your neighbors or your local PTA. Ask them: “Are you aware of the state mandate that would require schools to carve out time for religious instruction during the day?”

3️⃣ Follow the Bill. Knowledge is our best tool. We are watching the House Education Committee closely. If you want to see who is currently reviewing this, you can look up the committee members here: https://www.legis.ga.gov/committees/house/102

The bill itself 👉🏻 https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20252026/242858

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