A parent sent this to us today. Prairie Central Elementary SchoolFairbury, IllinoisMarch 4, 2026 According to the parent, students attending LifeWise Academy were sent back to school with a craft and told to give it to a “friend.” Their child — who does not attend LifeWise — was one of the students who received it.… Read More

🚨Another Ohio district caught violating released-time law. The Freedom From Religion Foundation has formally asked Elmwood Schools to stop allowing LifeWise Academy to hold religious classes on school property during the school day. Ohio law is clear:Released Time Religious Instruction must occur off school district property. According to reporting, Elmwood has been renting a room… Read More

🚨 Ohio House Bill 486 — the “Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act” — has passed the Ohio House and is now in the Ohio Senate Education Committee. The phrases shown in this graphic come directly from the legislation. Read the bill yourself:https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/hb486 What people are saying: Secular Education Association: Yes — the bill is literally… Read More

🚨 New bill in KENTUCKY could allow the state — or private individuals — to sue school districts over religious instruction programs. The bill, HB 829, would significantly change how “moral instruction” programs operate in public schools. These programs operate under a structure known as released-time religious instruction, where students leave school during the school… Read More

Released Time Religious Instruction laws vary widely by state — and most families don’t realize it. Some states require schools to release students for religious instruction during the school day. Others still leave it up to local districts. We built a national map to help people understand what’s happening where they live. 🔎 Explore your… Read More

A new cleveland.com investigation highlights something many parents are only starting to realize: Some of the most influential education policy voices in Ohio aren’t educators — they’re religious lobbying groups. The article focuses on the Center for Christian Virtue, a Christian public policy organization that has rapidly gained influence at the Statehouse and is now… Read More

Transportation is one of the least discussed — but most important — safety questions when students are released during the school day for off-campus religious instruction. We recently saw a public post from a local released-time program asking to borrow or rent a passenger bus on short notice. We’re not sharing this to speculate —… Read More

🚨 Want to understand how this spreads so fast? In Iowa, a registered lobbyist representing LifeWise Academy on education bills also publicly lists herself as a state director for the organization. That overlap matters. Because when the same people influencing legislation are also expanding programs into public school communities, transparency matters. And we’re seeing this… Read More

🚨 LOUISIANA Update: Ten Commandments mandate expands into universities The president of LSU says the school will comply with Louisiana’s new Ten Commandments law and is waiting for privately funded posters to be donated. While SEA primarily focuses on K–12 public education, policies like this matter because they reshape how religion is normalized across all… Read More

🚨 INDIANA: New State Initiative Blurs Line Between Government and Religion Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has signed an executive order creating the “Indiana Faith-Based Institutions Initiative,” to be run through Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s office. On paper, the initiative claims to address real societal challenges — addiction recovery, prisoner reentry, mentoring youth, foster care, and… Read More

This is how normalization happens. We’re documenting a growing trend across the country. As Released Time Religious Instruction expands, we’re increasingly seeing civic institutions — chambers of commerce, local awards groups, and community organizations — publicly framing these programs as “community service” nonprofits. That framing deserves scrutiny. Based on public records and independent reporting, LifeWise… Read More

IOWA🚨 A federal judge just issued a warning about political pressure in public education. A federal judge in Iowa declined to block disciplinary proceedings against two teachers over social media posts — but the language in the ruling is raising serious concerns. The court described the state’s actions as “deeply troubling,” noting that: “A licensing… Read More

🚨ARIZONA ALERT: HB 2266 is on the Move! The Arizona House of Representatives has officially passed HB 2266, and the bill is now heading to the State Senate. This isn’t just a minor update—it is a fundamental shift that undermines local control of our public schools. 🔍 WHAT’S IN THE BILL? We’ve analyzed the text,… Read More

Behind every map, research post, and legislative update we share, there are actually two spaces working together. Our private community is where families and educators connect, share experiences, and support one another. It’s where people talk honestly about what they’re seeing in their schools and communities. But our public work is where research, policy tracking,… Read More

Public Schools Week may be wrapping up, but this is something we believe every single day of the year. Public schools aren’t just buildings.They’re one of the last places in America where kids from completely different worlds sit at the same table. In a single classroom you might find students who are:ChristianMuslimJewishHinduBuddhistSikhAtheistAgnosticOr still figuring it… Read More