District Policies

G425 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND MOMENTS OF SILENCE

The United States flag shall be displayed in each classroom of every school in the School Corporation.

The Board shall provide a daily opportunity for students to voluntarily recite the Pledge of Allegiance in each classroom or on school grounds. A student is exempt from participation and may not be required to participate if the student chooses not to or the student’s parent chooses not to have the student participate.

During the Pledge of Allegiance, students who participate shall stand and recite the Pledge while facing the United States flag with their right hands over their hearts or in an appropriate salute if in uniform.

Students who are exempt from reciting the Pledge shall remain quietly standing or sitting while others recite the Pledge and shall make no display that disrupts or distracts other students who are reciting the Pledge.

In order that the right of each student to the free exercise of religion is guaranteed within the school and the freedom of each student to either engage in or refrain from religious observation on school grounds is subject to the least possible coercion from the State, the Board shall establish the daily observance of a moment of silence in each classroom or on school grounds.

During the moment of silence, the teacher responsible for a classroom shall ensure that all students remain seated or standing and silent during the moment of silence and the students make no distracting display so that each student may, in the exercise of the student’s individual choice, meditate, pray, or engage in any other silent activity that does not interfere with, distract, or impede another student in the exercise of the student’s individual choice.

This moment of silence is not intended to be and shall not be conducted as a religious exercise. This policy precludes students from using the occasion to pray audibly or otherwise speak, singly or in unison. Building principals and teachers must not allow or tolerate any coercion or overbearing by anyone to force other students to engage in or refrain from prayer or any other permitted activity under this policy.

The student code of conduct applies to disruptive behavior during the recitation of the Pledge and during a moment of silence in the same manner as provided for in other circumstances of such behavior.