GROVE CITY —
Grove City School Board members will continue to pray before the start of their meetings.
After more than two months of discussion, school directors on Monday struck down changing the verbal prayer to a moment of silence.
Four school board members voted in favor of a moment of silence, and three opposed it. Two were absent.
Changing the policy required a two-thirds majority vote; that is, six members needed to approve a moment of silence over prayer. The two-thirds vote was needed because it was a policy change, even though the majority voted for the moment of silence.
Prayer has been in the district's policy and procedures manual for well over 40 years.
Unless it's brought before the board again, prayer will continue as it has traditionally, said Superintendent Dr. Richard Mextorf.
Board members take turns for the opening prayer, but how that is done is entirely up to the school director, who can opt out of the prayer and hand it to the next board member in line, he said.
Solicitor Tim McNickle brought up the possibility of changing the policy to inform directors that the district could face an expensive lawsuit if someone in the community were offended by the prayer.
No one had approached the district with an offense, but McNickle spoke to Mextorf about a policy change after New Wilmington schools recently stopped prayer at school board meetings when there was a complaint.
Several people in Monday's audience were happy that the tradition would remain.
"Prayer should continue," said Suzette Foster. "There are few districts in the country who do this. Leaders all need guidance from the Lord."
"It's time for men to stand up and not be intimidated by 'possible' lawsuits," said Lew Rossi. "Grove City has had a standard," he noted, which should not be changed.
"As a Christian and believer in Jesus, I support prayer before the meeting," said Charles Brothers.
Lucinda Good thanked board members Faye Bailey, Adam Renick and Scott Somora for voting against having a moment of silence instead of a verbal prayer.
She came with members of Shiloh Intrusion Ministries in Grove City after reading about the controversy.
Renick stated that he - like other board members - was cognizant of the potential for litigation and possibly having to spend "taxpayer money."
However, he reiterated his sentiments from the previous Monday's workshop meeting: Being an example to his children on the issue trumped a potential lawsuit.
Bailey and Somora were concerned that the district's policies and procedures manual was not followed properly in bringing the matter before the board.
Numerous times the last several months, Somora has brought up the need for directors to follow - or change - the district's procedures manual.
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association has been paid to update the manual, which is a two-year process. In the meantime, Somora is concerned about revising policies to coincide with actions by the board.
One is the all-committee workshop meeting a week before the school board business meeting. That was a suggestion by Mextorf to replace the former committee meetings held an hour before the business meeting.
The board agreed on the format for six months. It will then be reviewed for change in the district's policies and procedures, Mextorf said Monday.
"We want to spend time on things that are important," Mextorf noted, like how the board is taking action to improve education for its students - "and minimize things that are perceived urgent."
Published June 20, 2012, in Allied News. Pick up a copy at 201 A Erie St., Grove City.
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