The North Pike school board adopted policies Thursday in regards to freedom of religious expression and required hours of instruction in the classroom.
Gov. Phil Bryant signed Senate Bill 2633, also known as the Student Religious Liberties Act, which lawmakers passed during the 2013 Legislative session.
The new law includes a model policy for schools to adopt, simply stating that public school districts “cannot discriminate against students or parents on the basis of religious viewpoint or religious expression.”
“We adopted the sample for tonight, and that could change over the next month or two if it needs to be changed,” Superintendent Dr. Ben Cox said.
According to the law, students cannot be disciplined or discriminated against for expressing their religious beliefs, and they can establish religious organizations and prayer groups.
Schools may also set time limits for student speakers at graduation and non-graduation events but cannot restrict what students say. This includes football games, opening announcements and other district-designated events.
The Wisconsin-based group Freedom from Religion Foundation chastised the school district in 2011 for praying before football games, but this law will allow student-led prayers as long as it doesn’t cause a disturbance. Obscene and offensive language is still banned.
Bryant also signed House Bill 1530 this year, amending the Mississippi Compulsory School Attendance law so students must be in school 63 percent of the day to be counted present in comparison to 50 percent.
“Basically, we had to have a policy that tells when instruction time starts and stops,” Cox said. “It sets up the instructional day at each school.”
Both laws took effect July 1.
