The Rev. Dr. Kevin E. Frederick, pastor of Waldensian Presbyterian Church of Valdese, is slated to give the invocation Monday at the Burke County Board of Education meeting.
What makes this usually routine item on the agenda noteworthy is a Jan. 17 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court not to hear an appeal on Forsyth County Board of Commissioners’ prayer before meetings case.
The decision lets stand a 2-1 ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that found that Forsyth County had endorsed Christianity with its prayer policy, although the policy was neutral on its face. The appeals court said that under the policy a large majority of the prayers were Christian.
In light of the case, the Burke school board asked its attorneys to draw up a policy on meeting prayers and other events on school campuses, including assemblies.
It is customary for the school board to invite an area minister to open its meetings with a nonsectarian prayer.
School board Chair Catherine Thomas has said there will be more communication between the board and the prayer giver, reiterating that Jesus or Allah not be mentioned in the prayer. She said she feels most ministers who pray before school board meetings do understand the separation between church and state.
Thomas and Interim Superintendent Larry Putnam received guidance from the state’s school board association on the issue and one of the suggestions was a moment of silence instead of a prayer.
A new item on the board’s agenda for Monday’s meeting is consent items.
After four new school board members were seated in December, the new board voted to incorporate a consent agenda into its regular meetings and discuss those items during their work sessions. Consent items include routine business voted on as a package without discussion.
Monday’s meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Olive Hill Room of the West Concord Street Resource Center with a reception for the Burke County National Board Certified teachers, both those new to the National Boards and those who had their certifications renewed between 2009 and 2011.
Under new business Kim Rudisill will make an individual class size waiver request and under informational items Putnam will give his report to the board.
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