Memorials
Sadly the death of a student, former student or staff member is an event that may occur at any time. The Stockton R-1 School District recognizes that the loss of a member of the school community is deeply felt, and that on occasion it may be desirable to remember a deceased individual by establishing a memorial. District facilities are designed to support learning, and the Board will not permit changes to facilities that interfere with that purpose or detract from the district's educational mission. The following guidelines apply to requests for memorials in school facilities or on district grounds.
Approval of Memorials
All memorials must be approved by the superintendent and building level administration before being placed within a school building or on school grounds. To avoid unnecessary expense and possible disappointment, the district recommends that individuals refrain from purchasing any type of memorial until it is approved by the administration.
The administration will determine the location of all memorials on school grounds or in school facilities. While requests will be considered when possible, the administration must consider such issues as design parameters, whether the memorial blends with the school campus, ongoing and future maintenance, and the effect a memorial may have on students and staff.
Memorial Options
Planting (trees, shrubs, perennials, etc) on school grounds-The administration must approve the type of placement of any planting before it is placed. Such planting may be accompanied by a movable flat ground marker. The engraving on the marker must be limited to the memorialized individual's name, dates of birth and death, and the words, "donated in memory of" or "in memory of". The administration reserves the right to remove the marker and memorial if it interferes with facility expansion or alterations in the landscaping. After ten (10) years the marker may be removed and offered to the nearest relative.
Benches, tables, and other outdoor furnishings; sidewalks, bricks, statuary, etc ... The Board will accept memorials of this type only to the extent that there is a suitable location and the style is complementary to the buildings and grounds. Each item may contain a plaque engraved with the memorialized individual's name, dates of birth and death, and the words, "donated in memory of" or "in memory of." Other types of memorials are addressed in the district's Policy 1470 on the acceptance of gifts. All items received as memorials become the property of the Stockton R-1 School District, and the district cannot guarantee that memorials that become damaged or worn will be replaced at the district's expense.