The West Fork School District Board of Directors does not allow the discrimination against a student based on a student’s voluntary religious expression, if any. At the same time, the District shall provide a process to eliminate any actual or perceived sponsorship or attribution to the District of a student's public voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint, if any.

Student Assignments

Student assignments include, but are not limited to:

• Homework;
• Classwork;
• Artwork; and
• Other written or oral assignments.

A student may express the student’s religious viewpoint, if any, in the student’s assignments without discrimination based on the religious content, if any. A student's assignments shall:

1. Be graded and judged:
   • By ordinary academic standards of substance and relevance; and
   • Against other conventional, pedagogical topics as identified by the District curriculum; and
2. Not be penalized or rewarded based on the religious content, if any, of the student’s assignments.

Accommodation will be considered for those portions of instructional activities in the schools that unduly burden a student's sincere religious belief provided such accommodation doesn’t amount to a significant change in curriculum, program, or course of instruction and when it is possible that a substitution of equally rigorous material that advances the same instructional goals can be arranged. Parents and students are advised that such accommodations are easier to grant when the objection is to non-state mandated Standards material than if the material is required by the Standards.1

A student or the student's parent can request the student's teacher accommodate the student's objection based on a religious belief to an instructional activity. Any such request must be made at least five (5) school days prior to the assignment's due date. Any objection must be raised in accordance with this policy's requirements or it will not be considered.

Upon receiving such a request, the student's teacher shall determine within five (5) work days if an accommodation is possible under the provisions of this policy. If the teacher decides an accommodation cannot be made or if the student or the student's parent believes the accommodation to be unreasonable, the student or the student's parent may request a conference with the teacher and the teacher's principal. A requested conference will occur at a time of mutual convenience, but no later than five (5) working days following the request. The principal shall have five (5) working days in which to make a decision on the appeal. If the student, the student’s parent, or the teacher is unsatisfied with the principal's decision, it may be appealed to the District Superintendent who shall convene a conference between the student, the parent and the teacher. The requested conference will occur at a time of mutual convenience, but no later than five (5) working days following the request. The Superintendent shall have five (5) working days in which to make a decision on the appeal which shall be final with no further right of appeal.

Student Presenters

A student's expression of a religious viewpoint, if any, on an otherwise permissible subject shall not be excluded from a forum, whether oral or in writing, where students are allowed to speak.

The District has the right to restrict student speech that is inappropriate in the school setting by being obscene, vulgar, offensively lewd, or indecent.

Review of written student forums shall be handled in accordance with Policy 4.14—STUDENT MEDIA AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF LITERATURE.

If the forum is a scheduled event with designated student speakers, the building principal shall have an opportunity to review pre-written remarks prior to the student’s presentation at the scheduled forum. The principal may require the student to amend the student’s remarks to the extent necessary to address any portions that are determined to be inappropriate. A student’s refusal to amend the remarks that were determined to be inappropriate may be prohibited from participation in the forum. A student who diverts from the approved pre-written remarks during a speech in such a manner that is determined to be inappropriate by the building principal or another present District staff member may be asked to return to the approved remarks. If a student refuses to return to the approved remarks or continues to divert from the approved remarks in a manner that is determined to be inappropriate may be escorted from the forum and disciplined in accordance with the District’s Student Code of Conduct.

If the timing or format of the forum does not provide for pre-written remarks to be reviewed, then the building principal or other District staff shall have the authority to address a student whose remarks are determined to be inappropriate. The building principal or District staff member shall initially ask the student to cease the inappropriate remarks. If the student refuses or makes additional inappropriate remarks after being directed to seace such remarks, Then the building principal or District staff member may escort the student from the forum and the student may be disciplined in accordance with the District’s Student Code of Conduct

There shall be a disclaimer that a student speaker's speech does not reflect the endorsement, sponsorship, position, or expression of the District. The disclaimer shall be provided at all forums where students speak and at all graduation ceremonies. The disclaimer shall be provided orally or in writing as most appropriately fits the format of the forum.

Information on how to participate in a student forum shall be provided to all students.

In addition to the salutatorian and valedictorian selection process in Policy 5.17—HONOR ROLL AND HONOR GRADUATES, the following students may speak during the District’s graduation ceremony:

• The salutatorian and the valedictorian.