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Wayzata board delays vote on reciting Pledge of Allegiance after divided discussion; will return Feb. 10
Summary
After extended discussion, the Wayzata Public Schools board voted 4–3 to postpone a motion to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at regular meetings so the question can be routed through board committees and stakeholder review before a Feb. 10 vote.
The Wayzata Public Schools Board of Education on Jan. 13 debated a member’s request to begin reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at every regular board meeting and ultimately approved an amendment to postpone the final decision to the Feb. 10 meeting.
Director Valentina Ayers moved that the board recite the pledge after roll call at each regular meeting, with the transcript recording discussion of the motion and differing views about whether a recital would be purely ceremonial or should be developed with community and committee input.
Director Heidi Kader, who proposed the postponement amendment, said she favored doing the work "in the right way" and asked that the board take the question through the committee structure so the decision would reflect the collective voice of the full board and stakeholder perspectives. Kader moved to postpone the vote until Feb. 10 so committees could review and recommend an approach.
Board members voiced a range of positions in the public debate: Director Valentina Ayers described the pledge as a unifying act and linked it to national freedoms, saying it gives people “choices” and recalled her experience coming from a country without such public freedoms. Some board members said they had expected a compromise to have already been completed in prior work sessions and that postponement risked “kicking the can down the road,” while others said a short delay would allow meaningful alignment with the district’s strategic roadmap and equity commitments.
The board voted on the amendment to postpone further consideration; the amendment passed 4–3. Board members supporting the postponement said additional committee review and stakeholder engagement are needed to determine how recital would fit with other meeting practices (for example, land acknowledgments or other opening observances) and with the district’s equity commitments. Members opposing the postponement said the pledge itself is short and ceremonial and should be introduced without delay.
Why it matters: The question touches on civic symbolism in public meetings and the balance between a majority’s preference and the desire to include broader committee and stakeholder input. Postponing the decision gives the board time to develop a policy or practice recommendation rather than immediately changing meeting procedure.
Next steps: The board directed the Board Office to route the pledge question through relevant committees and to place the item on the Feb. 10 regular meeting agenda for a final vote.
