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Board considers request to fly POW/MIA flag; seeks more info on logistics and policy
Summary
The board discussed a request from state legislators to fly the POW/MIA flag at school properties, weighed costs and rigging issues, and asked administration to research how other districts implement the practice before placing the matter on a future agenda.
The board considered a letter from state Representative Maloney, cosigned by Representative Mark Gillen, asking Exeter Township School District to fly the POW/MIA flag on school grounds. The request prompted questions about logistics, cost and policy implications.
Board members noted many district buildings have only a single exterior flagpole and that adding additional poles would entail installation and, in some cases, electrical work for nighttime illumination. District facilities staff estimated the cost of two new flagpoles at about $3,900 and said a lower-cost option would be to pin/display the flag indoors or at the high school auditorium where multiple poles already exist.
Solicitor Sharon Montaigne cautioned that adding a policy specifying only one alternate flag could create viewpoint-discrimination challenges and recommended careful policy drafting; the board discussed an example amendment to policy 807 used by another district that specifically required display of the POW/MIA flag but acknowledged that it could raise legal issues.
Board members asked administration to gather information from nearby districts (including Fleetwood High School) about operational practice, half-mast handling, rigging solutions and costs and to return the issue as a future agenda item for formal consideration.
What’s next: administration will research logistics, costs and policy language and present options at a future Committee of the Whole or voting meeting.
