Apparently one can ruin it for the group.
Eye on Jacksonville has learned one local elementary school is relocating its graduation ceremony based on a parent complaint.
For almost a decade, Holiday Hill Church has opened its doors to Holiday Hill Elementary school for end of the year graduation services. The church does not charge the school a rental fee, preach, pray or perform any religious traditions during the event. The church simply unlocks the doors, turns on the lights and turns on the A/C. The intention is to bless the community with the convenience of the church’s location to the school. The school and the church are separated by a small field and a fence.
Sources tell Eye on Jacksonville a new family started attending the school a few weeks ago. Once the parent found out the graduation ceremony would be held at the church, the parent decided to contact the superintendent of the school district. The parent took great offense to a public school using a church auditorium.
To compromise, teachers arranged to hold four different ceremonies on campus. However, another parent complaint put the kibosh on that idea. So, the school board decided to provide buses to take the kids to Englewood High School, where the ceremony now will take place.
In a statement sent to schools, the district claims holding school sponsored events at a church could violate the Establishment Clause. But the district isn’t sure how, or if it does, it only believes it might. The email also references a court case in which a school district was sued over renting a church for a graduation ceremony. Even though the students and parents wanted the ceremony at the church, the court decided holding a ceremony inside a church auditorium created a “religion-saturated and proselytizing environment.” The Wisconsin case was sent to the U.S. Supreme Court where it was rejected. Based on that decision, the school administration decided upholding the school’s graduation tradition at a local church would be seen as potentially promoting a religion or seen as endorsing one religion over another.
That is hogwash. No one had an issue before a few weeks ago. Also, the school does not pay a rental fee, which was the issue in the Wisconsin case.
This isn’t the first school dealing with a venue change this graduation season.
Action News Jax reported this week that Hendricks Elementary also is changing its graduation venue from its usual location at Southside United Methodist Church. The new location has not been announced.
This move is another example of so-called “educators,” not understanding basic civics or our constitution. We do not have a separation of church and state. There is no such
law, rule, suggestion or guideline. The U.S. Constitution contains the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. The Establishment Clause prohibits the government from establishing a national religion. The Free Exercise Clause protects citizens’ right to practice their religion as they please. Both are enshrined in the constitution to protect us from the government.
Our job as citizens is to understand our constitutional rights and hold our politicians accountable. If parents and teachers do not want the graduation ceremony changed, they have the power to stop the school board. They just have to be brave enough to stand up and say no. Our system is designed for citizens to hold all the power. Politicians cannot do anything without the consent of the governed.
Two schools already have caved. Which one is next?
