Posters may cost $12,000

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Posters may cost $12,000

Wall hangings will be available for KHSD classrooms by April 1

By Tara Mclaughlin, The Bakersfield Californian, November 6, 2007

The Kern High School District expects to pay about $12,000 to hang a two-foot by three-foot poster of founding documents and both national mottos in all 2,000-plus classrooms, libraries and main offices, trustee Ken Mettler said Tuesday.

"Funding for the posters will probably come out of our instructional materials fund," district spokesman John Teves said. "We don't anticipate any negative impact on any other aspects of the district operations as a result of the cost of the posters."

The board Monday approved a twice-amended motion on Trustee Chad Vegas' proposal to hang "In God We Trust" posters in every district classroom.

The changes eliminated the connection to a controversial Christian group, American Family Association, and put some distance between the board and Bakersfield City Councilwoman Jacquie Sullivan's nonprofit organization, In God We Trust -- America Inc., which had planned to donate the posters.

Trustees Bryan Batey and Joel Heinrichs worked with a graphic designer from Heinrichs' company to develop the concept, Batey said.

The new design puts "In God We Trust," which is scripted in a font similar to that of the U.S. Constitution, in context with the original motto, which is E Pluribus Unum.

Mettler said the district will bid out production and the laminated posters will be available to schools by April 1, 2008. Framed posters will be mounted in libraries and key offices by Aug. 15, 2008.

The change may have appeased potential legal action by church-state separation watchdogs.

"The original proposal might have opened the door to a legal challenge, but I don't think this one does," said Robert Boston, assistant director of communications for the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Batey tried to further limit Vegas' policy, suggesting the posters should be mandatory only for government and history classes. But Vegas and Mettler jilted that stipulation and the language was struck. Batey's second amendment then conceded to displaying the new poster in every classroom.

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