Board discusses invocation policy and accessibility of invocation requests
Summary
A board member expressed discomfort with invocation being on the agenda, citing separation of church and state and inclusivity concerns; the board president said policy allows anyone to request the invocation through the district secretary and that the policy is not restricted to any single faith.
During committee reports, board member Christine Stephenson raised concerns about the invocation being listed on the agenda and said she was "not completely comfortable" with the practice, citing separation of church and state and the importance of inclusivity for people of differing beliefs.
Stephenson asked how members of the public can request to offer an invocation. The board president directed listeners to the district's invocation policy, which he said spells out procedures and indicates anyone may contact the district secretary (Sheila) to request a slot. "It is not limiting to any culture, any denomination, any particular person," the board president said, adding that the board had reinstated the invocation because it is important to some in the community.
Board members asked for clearer public access to the policy and suggested linking or publishing the procedure to make it easier for community members to request to be on the invocation schedule. The board agreed the policy language and process should be transparent and available.
What happens next: staff will rely on the existing policy to manage requests and the board suggested making policy access easier for the public; no policy change or vote was made during the meeting.
