702.1 - Memorials AR

Temporary Memorials

Temporary memorials will be housed in one highly visible interior location that is designated by the building Principal where the eligible person was in attendance. The high school will serve that function for a Board member. The allocated space will not exceed 8 ft. by 4 ft. and 18 in. in depth. If the display becomes larger than the above specified dimensions, memorabilia will be offered to the family. Temporary memorials will not exceed 30 calendar days. If a person dies over summer vacation, a temporary memorial may be allowed for the first 30 calendar days of the school year.

All memorials will adhere to District building use, safety and fire code rules. One additional temporary memorial may be determined at the discretion of the Principal and faculty advisor. Other temporary locations might include: a student’s locker, a teacher’s desk, a chair in the band room.

Acceptable memorabilia are age-appropriate gestures of sympathy and remembrance, such as photographs, artwork, cards, and flowers. Items representing an interest or a celebration of life of the deceased are acceptable. Inappropriate representations of loss, such as a photo of an auto crash, are not allowed and will be removed.

After 30 calendar days the contents of the temporary memorial will be removed and offered to the family.

Permanent Memorial

Each school building will dedicate a centralized, highly visible wall where a master commemorative plaque will be installed. A tasteful and respectfully presented plaque will be headed with a quotation agreed upon by the current student body and faculty. Mounted on this plaque will be 2”x 6” engraved plates with the eligible person’s name and dates of birth and death.

Within one month of the person’s death, or at the discretion of the building Principal, a public dedication will be held with the family present. The nature and scope of the dedication will not exceed 20 minutes. The agenda will be coordinated with the family, a faculty representative, and a student, when appropriate. The agenda will be subject to the Principal’s approval and will be held outside the instructional school day.

The District will assist the PTA in raising the appropriate amount of money for the initial purchase of the memorial plaque. The plaques shall be uniform among the four schools, but the quotation will be meaningful and relevant to the age of the students attending that school. The District accepts the responsibility for the installation and maintenance of the memorial plaque and the purchase of subsequent plaques.

Eligible persons who are retroactively identified will be recognized at one major unveiling at each building as part of the initial installation assembly. The District will conduct a search through public media for a period of three months and purchase the required name plates.

Additional Recognition

A commemorative page will appear each year in the high school yearbook. An eligible student’s picture will be displayed in the edition that would have been the anticipated graduation year. A photo of an eligible adult will be displayed, when possible, in the year of the death or the following year. Parents of seniors will be offered the opportunity to receive their child's diploma.

Memorial Gifts

Any applicant (person or group) desiring to establish a gift, whether time-limited or perpetual, is encouraged to meet with the Superintendent of Schools to begin the process. This collaboration will afford the applicant an opportunity to understand the needs of the District. In return, the District can provide assistance in the planning and implementation of the gift. This process will ensure that the final application will fulfill the desires of the applicant, the needs of the District, and meet the standards of the School Board.

In the event that the applicant’s gift is tangible, a Gift Application may be submitted directly to the Superintendent for School Board approval. The Gift Application is available on the District website and from the Superintendent’s office. The Gift Application must meet the following criteria.

1. Statement of educational relevance;
2. The conditions and qualification to become a recipient;
3. The members of the approval panel and at what level the District will be involved in the decision-making process; and
4. Clear delineation of how funds/gift will be dispersed and who will be accountable.

The Superintendent of Schools will acknowledge receipt of the completed application in writing and advise the applicant if the application meets the established standards and how and when it will be presented to the School Board. If the application does not meet the District’s requirements, the Superintendent will establish an internal advising committee within 30 days to assist the applicant in addressing relevant considerations. The advisory committee will be comprised of people with the expertise to assist the applicant to refine the application. All applications must:

• Be in concert with the District mission statement
• Conform to community tastes and values
• Be in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws.
• Be in accordance with all applicable zoning regulations.
• Be in accordance with all District policies.
• Itemize initial costs and estimate fixed and long-term costs.
• Identify financial resources to be used to pay for construction/maintenance.
• Specify duration of gift.
• Exist independent of instructional time or school/District resources and public funds.

The applicant will be offered an opportunity to resubmit the Gift Application and be advised by the Superintendent of Schools how and when it will be presented to the School Board for approval. The applicant will be encouraged to be present at a mutually agreed upon Board meeting and participate in the presentation, if needed. A good faith effort will be made to respond to the applicant within a two-month framework. In the event that the gift is not approved, the Superintendent will advise the applicant in writing. The Superintendent will explain the Board’s rationale and make suggestions for alternative gifts.

Adopted: November 16, 2004