Editor:
Before the new Gov. Mifflin Athletic Community Center was dedicated, a school board member questioned why there is no flagpole at the new facility. This is according to Pennsylvania Statute Title 24, Public School Code of 1949: United States Flag Display and Ceremonies. The initial response was that the district was in compliance.
Reading the statute, it seems clear that a flagpole should be erected. Section 771 of the statute states “The board of school directors in each district shall, when they are not otherwise provided, purchase a United States flag, flagstaff and the necessary appliances therefor, and shall display said flag upon or near each public school building in clement weather, during school hours, and at such other times as the board may determine.”
Because middle school and high school gym classes and high school health classes are held in the edifice, is it not an educational facility? What constitutes “near” each school building? The athletic center is a separate building. It is not connected to the high school or middle school.
What about “shall” in the statute? Webster’s dictionary defines “shall” as: Used to express what is inevitable or seems likely to happen in the future; to express a command or exhortation; used in laws, regulations, or directives to express what is mandatory.
Is no flagpole in violation of the Pennsylvania statute? Which patriotic businesses/organizations will step up to the plate with funding if the school board won’t?
Keith Worley
Cumru Township
Source: Berkshire mont
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