Tahlequah board approves agreement to allow off‑campus religious release time, adds indemnity and background‑check requirements

The Tahlequah Public Schools Board of Education voted to approve an agreement to allow off‑campus released‑time religious instruction for Tahlequah Middle School students, with the provider agreeing to carry insurance, indemnify the district and perform background checks on its employees.

The vote on the agenda item described as an “agreement with MindWise Academy to establish guidelines and affirmation of insurance for parent‑initiated off‑campus release time courses for TMS students” followed public comment urging caution about the organization and detailed staff briefings about how state law and district policy apply.

Why it matters: Oklahoma House Bill 1425 (referred to in meeting remarks and district materials) permits students to be released from non‑tested classes for religious or moral instruction. The district’s superintendent told the board the school must facilitate legally permitted release time but that students are not under district supervision once they are checked out and that the agreement being…