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Little Falls school board approves revised pledge policy after student feedback, 3-2
Summary
The Little Falls Board of Education voted 3-2 on April 14 to approve a revised Pledge of Allegiance policy after student representative Molly and others raised concerns about daily recitation disrupting classroom instruction and about students' understanding of the pledge's significance.
The Little Falls Board of Education voted 3-2 on April 14 to adopt a revised district policy on the Pledge of Allegiance after hearing student and board debate about how often the pledge should be recited and whether instruction about its significance should be included.
Molly, the student representative, told the board she had discussed the proposed change with several classes and student groups. She said two primary concerns surfaced: that reciting the pledge at different times during the morning can interrupt class activities and that daily recitation risks diluting students’ sense of the pledge. "A lot of times, the pledge doesn't always happen right away at 08:00, and once class begins, it becomes a little disruptive when we're maybe playing a game or something, and we have to pause," Molly said.
Board members debated competing views. Sharon, a board member, advocated following what she described as state practice and voiced support for a weekly recitation over the intercom, saying students worried the pledge could "lose its importance" if recited every day. Other board members said the revised policy would also add instruction so students learn the pledge’s meaning and symbolic importance.
During debate, one board member noted that elementary schools in the district already recite the pledge daily, while concerns raised at the middle and high school levels focused on timing and classroom disruption. Board members agreed the district should add instruction about the pledge as part of the policy’s implementation.
The motion to adopt Policy 5.31 passed by a verbal vote recorded at the meeting as 3 in favor and 2 opposed. The board indicated it did not set implementation for the remainder of the current school year and that changes would be reflected in the parent handbook and rolled out beginning with the next school year.
The board’s brief also noted that the policy’s first reading and the related discussion were intended to incorporate student perspectives; Molly had shared feedback gathered from student council, principal advisory council and several classes. The board did not specify exact language changes during the public portion of the meeting; the adopted policy was described commercially in the meeting packet as Policy 5.31 (Pledge of Allegiance).
