
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 24, 1994                    TAG: 9406240504 
SECTION: LOCAL                     PAGE: B3    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940624                                 LENGTH: RICHMOND

STATE BOARD WRESTLES WITH THORNY QUESTION OF PRAYERS IN SCHOOLS

{LEAD} Maybe it seemed clear to the nation's founding fathers. But for the State Board of Education, figuring out exactly where to draw the line between church and state may take the wisdom of Solomon.

On Thursday, the board took its first tentative step toward what some may consider unholy ground: coming up with guidelines to allow voluntary prayer in the state's public schools.

{REST} Board members acknowledged the tough task ahead, sure to be publicly divisive and probably a lightning rod for lawsuits by opponents. The U.S. Supreme Court has batted the issue around for years.

It was evident during debate Thursday that some board members hold strong feelings about school prayer.

``Everybody has lawyers on this issue,'' said member Peter G. Decker Jr., a Norfolk lawyer. ``I just think that maybe God needs a lawyer, so I'll volunteer. I'm going to push to do everything I can to get prayer back in school.''

Even if board members would rather not wrestle with the issue, they have little choice. The General Assembly in the spring passed legislation directing the board to develop guidelines on prayer.

Based on a timetable approved Thursday, final guidelines would be ready for adoption by February. The board plans to hold a series of public hearings before taking action.

``We've been given the task, and it's up to us to accomplish it,'' board President James P. Jones of Bristol said. ``I don't want to just tilt at windmills. I want workable guidelines that are valid and legal and are something these localities can use.''

Jones said, however, that he expects legal battles. ``Our guidelines will end up in court, likely.''

Here's the dilemma, officials said: The board's guidelines will have to walk a fine line between constitutional restrictions on school prayer and constitutional rights of religious expression.

``It's a balancing act,'' said Catherine Clark, policy division chief for the state Department of Education. ``It's very clear that we can't prohibit religious expression by students, nor can we prescribe it.''

The goal, Clark said, is to develop guidelines that local officials can apply to specific cases that routinely arise in schools: Whether it's OK for student Bible clubs to meet on campus, for instance, or whether a schoolwide ``moment of reflection'' or prayers at campus graduation ceremonies or athletic functions are permissible.

William C. Bosher Jr., state superintendent of public instruction, said he would be ``adamantly opposed'' to any attempt to require all students to pray.

``School should not be used to indoctrinate anyone to a dogma,'' he said. He added, however, that young people should be allowed to express themselves - including their religious faith - at school.

``We've got to find an area between the poles,'' Bosher said. ``We will have to wade through a very delicate issue.''

{KEYWORDS} PRAYER IN SCHOOL

by CNB