1. PURPOSE AND PHILOSOPHY
   Weber School District recognizes that the loss of a student or staff member is deeply felt in the school and community. The District also recognizes the desire of individuals and groups to memorialize the life of the deceased as part of the grieving and healing process. While remaining sensitive to the impact of a death in the schools, the District must take steps to ensure memorials are appropriate and consistent across the District. The District recognizes that decisions made about memorials immediately after a traumatic event may not take into full consideration the potential impact on students, staff, and community members.
   
   
2. POLICY
   The District will not promote, encourage, sponsor, or support memorials of any kind for deceased students or staff. This policy outlines acceptable memorials at schools and unacceptable memorials at schools. Students and staff wishing to honor a deceased person during the school day or in any manner that creates an association with Weber School District must comply with this policy. Since schools are places designed primarily to support learning, these guidelines will ensure that memorials are appropriate and consistent across the District.
   
   
3. DEFINITIONS
   1. “Memorial” means an activity, event, program, donation, structure, or anything else intended to honor the memory of a deceased person.
      
      
4. ACCEPTABLE MEMORIALS AND EVENTS
   1. The following are ways in which the District and its students and staff can honor the memory of a deceased student or staff person associated with Weber School District.
      

      1. Scholarships established in the name of the deceased student or staff.

      2. Donations to a charity or program in the name of the deceased student or staff.

      3. A donation of furniture, equipment, or materials given to the school intended to be in honor of the deceased student or staff. 

      4. A sympathy card from the school, possibly signed by students and staff, and flowers for the funeral. 

      5. Building administrators shall work with families of students who have passed during their senior year and may be awarded an honorary diploma and/or be recognized at graduation ceremonies. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the building principal and Director of Secondary Education.  

      6. Appropriate activities to promote healing may be conducted with the approval and support of the Crisis Response Team, provided the activities do not alter the school schedule.
      7. Students are not prohibited from organizing an event that is strictly student-sponsored and student/parent-led, intended to honor or memorialize a deceased student or staff, provided the event or activity does not disrupt the school day and does not occur during school hours, or on school property.
         
         
5. UNACCEPTABLE MEMORIALS OR EVENTS
   1. Due to the disruption of the educational environment, the unintended consequences to the psychological well-being of students and staff, and/or the inequity of failing to honor other deceased students or staff, the following are prohibited as memorials in honor of deceased students or staff:
      1. School-sponsored activities or events in honor of deceased students or staff;
      2. Funerals on school property;
      3. Memorials that require the altering of school property, including planting trees and gardens;
      4. Memorials that infringe on the separation of church and state;
      5. Memorials that require public funds to purchase, develop, or maintain;
      6. Memorials that include plaques attached to any object or part of the building on school property (an exception would be for veteran’s memorials presented with District approval by recognized veteran groups to commemorate members of the armed forces lost in combat.);
      7. Memorials in the yearbook;
      8. Flying the flag at half-staff;
      9. Placing notices on outdoor message boards;
      10. Memorials on school websites or school social media accounts;
      11. School-sponsored wearing or memorial apparel such as t-shirts, armbands, or sweatshirts. This does not prohibit students from wearing memorial apparel, provided any organized wearing of apparel is not sponsored or promoted by the school.
      12. Creating banners;
      13. Dedicating publications, dances, activities, and sporting events to the person;
      14. Making special acknowledgments at graduation ceremonies; and/or
      15. Parents distributing memorial apparel to students and staff at school during school hours.

Approved: 10/2/2024