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Speakers urge district to engage with proposed off‑campus release‑time religious instruction
Summary
Two public speakers described release‑time religious instruction and proposed a locally operated program using a retrofitted bus parked off campus; they cited legal conditions—parental permission, off‑campus location, and no district funding—and requested district staff engagement.
Two public commenters described release‑time religious instruction and asked the district to discuss a local implementation model that organizers say would comply with legal requirements.
Dr. Carolyn McKee, who identified herself as executive director of School Ministries California Release Time Biblical Education, told trustees that California Education Code 46014 authorizes release‑time instruction when three conditions are met: parental permission, off‑campus instruction and no use of government funds. She said the program is funded by donations and described release time as a long‑standing practice.
Dr. Hugh Carmichael, a retired pediatrician and Torrance resident, expanded on a local proposal that organizers say would follow those criteria. He described a retrofitted bus to serve as an off‑campus classroom parked near the school entrance but on non‑district property, with students escorted to the bus and parental permission forms provided to schools. Carmichael cited Board Policy 6113 and said organizers would like to pilot the program at two elementary schools and asked the district to meet with them to work through implementation specifics.
Neither commenter requested district funding; both emphasized compliance with the three legal criteria for release‑time instruction. The board did not take action on the request during the meeting but was asked to meet with program organizers.
