Jackson Free Press

During a painfully long Sept. 24 meeting of the Jackson Public School board, JPS Attorney JoAnne Shepherd reported on the litigious circumstances surrounding the proposed implementation of invocation before school board meetings. While the State Board of Education and the Mississippi Institute of Higher Learning open their meetings with prayer, most school boards in Mississippi do not. Board member Sollie Norwood has been vocal on the matter of prayer, saying in the meeting that the practice of prayer should extend beyond the school board.

"I still think that wherever we are, there is room for prayer," Norwood said, citing a need for religious leaders to console students affected by the death of a JPS student, killed on I-220 last week. "I don't think that we should look to engage the faith community when we need them, and … I think we can find a law to substantiate or support whatever we want to do."

According to Shepherd, The policy of the school board already outlines a moment of silence to begin meetings, but the board has been inconsistent with the practice. Board members agreed that the practice should be re-instated, but disagreed on whether they should change the policy to include a prayer.

"(A moment of silence) allows individuals to pray as they see fit, if (it's) not imposing religion on other individuals," board Vice President Jonathan Larkin said. "If we do anything to the contrary, we potentially open ourselves up for legal scrutiny."

Prior to the Shepherd's report on legality of prayer on school grounds, she gave a report on the JPS law offices. The law team almost tripled its usual work this past year with litigation, and requested a part-time lawyer to alleviate some of the work. Larkin suggested that in light of the mounting work for JPS lawyers, the school board should not be so hasty to put itself in "a situation to be sued again."

Norwood retorted that the board shouldn't make decisions based on the possibility of legal suit.

President Delmer Stamps and the board asked Shepherd to do more research into the legality of prayer at the school board meeting, which she will present at the next school board meeting on Oct. 1.

In the Monday night meeting school board members also adopted a legislative priority list, with teacher pay raises in the No. 1 slot. Other top priorities were changing the compulsory schooling age to 17 and funding pre-kindergarten programs.