MEMORIAL POLICY

At its October, 2001, Board of Education Meeting in Lucas, Kansas, the Board approved the Memorial Committee's recommendations addressing what was to happen to memorials that were in the district prior to that date. Therefore, this policy addresses memorials placed in the district after the effective date of this policy. This policy addresses the following types of memorials:

Hanging of Plaques or Pictures in Memory within School Facilities

Gifts to the district that are designated as memorials.

These will be dealt with on an individual basis. Anyone (parent, relative, Student Council, organization, club, etc.) desiring to donate a gift to the schools that carries with it a stipulation that it be a memorial needs to approach the administrator in charge of the facility where the memorial is to be located. When considering acceptance of the gift, the administrator will be bound by the following guidelines:

  • No pictures will be attached to the memorial.
  • Information on the nameplate on the memorial shall be limited to "Donated by XXX in Memory of XXX and the date."
  • The memorial must serve a useful purpose for current students.

If the administrator has concerns about the appropriateness of the memorial gift, he/she will consult with the Superintendent of Schools before making a final decision. The Superintendent may need to seek input from the Board of Education before advising the administrator as to whether or not the memorial is appropriate.

Memorials Designed to Commemorate Individuals

Memorial pictures of students will be allowed under the following guidelines:

  • Memorial pictures will be allowed only for students who die while in grades K-12.
  • If a student dies before entering high school and his/her parent desires to do so, the parent may provide a memorial picture (no larger than 8"X10") to be placed in the school that the child was attending. The memorial shall be displayed in a fashion and location deemed appropriate by the building administrator. Upon the movement of the student's classmates to another building and upon the request of the student's parent, the student's memorial will travel with them. If the parent does not request that the memorial move with the student's classmates to another building, the memorial shall be returned to the parent.
  • Upon the request of a parent or guardian, when the student's classmates enter high school, his/her memorial will be added to the Memorial Panels; and the original memorial shall be returned to the parent or guardian.
  • If a student dies while in high school, the parent may request that he/she have a memorial added to the Memorial Panels at the high school. The request must come from the parent or guardian. Requests from classmates or school or community organizations will not be honored.

Honorary Memorials

If a graduate of one of USD 407's schools achieves national or state recognition (such as Bob Dole, Arlen Specter, etc.), honorariums and/or memorials to these individuals may be hung in a building with prior approval of the Board of Education of USD 407.

 

Pages in the Yearbook

No yearbook will be dedicated "In Memoriam." It is appropriate to have a page or pages in the yearbook dedicated to a deceased student or students.

Other Suggested Memorials

  • Scholarships in individual names.
  • Letters of remembrance to family.
  • Outdoor plantings, furniture, etc.
  • Funds to support prevention activities.
  • Funds for the purchase of books or equipment.