WPCNR School Days. By John F. Bailey. October 13, 2005: At the Board of Education meeting at the high school Tuesday evening, the Board introduced a draft of a new district-wide policy stating what content is permissible in holiday displays in classrooms and school buildings and grounds.
Superintendent of Schools Timothy Connors told WPCNR that the policy was drafted as a result of complaints lodged by fifteen district parents about the contents of school displays that contained religious symbols. There are currently over 7,000 students attending school in the White Plains City Schools.
Board of Education President Donna McLaughlin said the board considered first whether they should even attempt to come up with a policy, and when they did, they thought long and hard and have come up with the policy being introduced to the district for district-wide comment. McLaughlin said the policy deliberately tries not to be specific as to what symbols are religious and are not, because, she said, inevitably, the policy would forget something.
Connors said that before the policy would be officially put in place, that the district welcomes comment from parents and the community and will review any comments or criticisms.
The policy sets conditions of display, requires statements making clear the historical significance of religious symbols and disclaimers that the district does not endorse any particular symbol.
The promulgation of the holiday policy sparked three comments from persons from the community expressing their concerns about promotion of religion, two expressing critiques of the policy, and a third saying there should be no policy at all because it would only serve to promote discord. This was the most public comments delivered in person at a Board of Education since the issue of the School District not rehiring their Athletic Director, Mario Scarano, one year ago.
Peter Bassano, Board of Education member noted that the holiday display policy would apply all year round and not just to the yearend holiday season.
The text of the policy under consideration reads:
Holiday Displays
The Board of Education of the White Plains City School District is proud of the diversity of White Plains and believes that the District has the responsibility as an educational institution to foster mutual understanding and respect in our students for the many beliefs and customs stemming from the varied religious, racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds of the members of our community.
With this goal in mind, the Board of Education will allow the District to acknowledge the cultural and historical aspects of religious holidays and to temporarily display secular and religious symbols in the school buildings to celebrate the diversity of the holiday season.
All holiday displays containing religious symbols must be non-proselytizing in nature and shall conform to the following requirements:
- The display of religious symbols (in a display) must be part of a larger configuration in an education setting which includes secular symbols and is representative of the diversity of the holiday season;
- The display of religious symbols must contain written statements supplied by the District explaining the symbol and its significance to cultural and historical aspects of the religious holidays presented in an unbiased and objective manner;
- The display of religious symbols must be temporary and limited to the duration of the holiday season; and
- The display of religious symbols must be accompanied by a written disclaimer of public sponsorship indicating that,
“This temporary display of secular and religious symbols is intended by the District to celebrate the diversity of the holiday season and should not be construed as an endorsement of any religion."
