District Forgoes Half-Staff Honor for King Funeral

By Annie Nelson, Columbia Daily Tribune, Mo.

Feb. 12–Columbia Public Schools did not lower flags to half-staff Tuesday in honor of Coretta Scott King despite an order by President George W. Bush that all public buildings should do so.

The schools instead took their lead from Gov. Matt Blunt, who ordered on Jan. 31 that state facilities lower their flags to half-staff until dusk on the day of King’s funeral Tuesday. Schools are not considered state facilities because they receive the majority of their funding from local sources, said Lynn Barnett, the assistant superintendent for student support services.

That belief was confirmed by the governor’s office.

“I don’t believe they are seen that way because they have their own local oversight through school boards and receive significant local resources,” said Spence Jackson, communications director for the governor.

Jackson added that Blunt did not amend his order after Bush made his proclamation because the governor only has the authority to lower flags at state buildings.

The Federal Flag Code states: “By order of the President, the flag shall be flown at half-staff upon the death of principal figures of the United States Government and the Governor of a State, territory, or possession, as a mark of respect to their memory. In the event of the death of other officials or foreign dignitaries, the flag is to be displayed at half-staff according to presidential instructions or orders, or in accordance with recognized customs or practices not inconsistent with law.”

Jacque Cowherd, the Columbia Public Schools deputy superintendent for administration, sent a district-wide e-mail after the Jan. 31 gubernatorial order, informing schools they were not to honor King by lowering their flags as schools are not considered state facilities, Barnett said.

Bush’s Feb. 6 proclamation escaped the attention of district administrators, Barnett said.

“Look at the dates they came out,” Barnett said of the two orders. “By that point, who is watching those Web sites?”

At Douglass High School, Cowherd’s e-mail gave pause to Principal Brian Gaub.

“I had somebody here check on that,” he said. “I guess we kind of went with the district line.”

Barnett said that neither schools nor the school district have the ability to make an individual decision about whether to fly flags at half-staff.

“We take directions from the government, and it felt like that’s what they were saying,” Barnett said.

At Paxton Keeley Elementary School, Principal Elaine Hassemer said she thinks it’s good to follow the policy that is given in a directive so that all the schools are doing the same thing. “Obviously we do try and abide any time the president says flags should be flown at half-staff,” she said. “We thought it was only state facilities.”

Barnett said she’s sorry if the district made a mistake.

“It’s not because we didn’t agree,” she said. “We thought we were doing what we were told.”

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