[§302A-1139]  Religious education.  (a) 
The department shall provide for the release of, and shall release, any pupil
in any public school from attendance at the public school for a period not to
exceed sixty minutes each week during the school year, on such days and during
such school hours as the department shall designate, for the purpose of
receiving religious instruction from the religious organization of the pupil's
choice when the release is requested in writing by a parent, guardian, or other
person having custody or control of the pupil.  Actual attendance at the
sessions of the religious instruction shall count as attendance at the public
schools for all purposes where attendance forms the basis of computation.



(b)  The privilege of this release shall be
withdrawn by the department in case the pupil does not actually attend the
sessions of religious instruction.  No teacher of the public schools shall
participate in religious instruction during the school hours for which the
teacher is employed to teach in the public schools, and no public funds shall
be used directly or indirectly for religious instruction, at any time when its
use would otherwise be required in connection with the regular program of the
school. [L 1996, c 89, pt of §2]