1.   -- Schools have wide discretion to excuse students if they object to a lesson on religious grounds.

2.   Subject to state law, schools can excuse individual students from lessons that are objectionable to the student on religious grounds.

3.   Subject to state law, schools can excuse students to attend off-premises religious instruction, but cannot encourage or discourage participation.

4.   Students are excused from regular classes to attend the meetings, though they do not go every day.

5.   The Austin and Round Rock school districts adhere to the Texas Education Code, which allows students to be excused from attending school in order to observe holy days.

6.   The consortium had a waiver that excused its students from taking the exams until last June, and it continues to battle the Education Department over the issue.

7.   The Los Angeles Unified School District is supporting the effort, excusing students to visit job sites and allowing parents to bring their daughters to work that day.

8.   They could be obliged to excuse students from any course parents object to and to provide alternative lessons or readings when parents protest.