Mars Area School District's school board has proposed an addition to its mission statement that would promote “informed, engaged and patriotic” education as a core value.

The addition would list a number of ways in which the district would demonstrate the value, including “prohibiting the teaching of concepts that assign fault, blame, or guilt to people solely because of race, sex and religion,” displaying the flag and saying the Pledge of Allegiance, playing the national anthem at sports games and ensuring the “impartial study and discussion of political/controversial issues that relate to course content.”

The policy expressly states that “social theories such as Holocaust denial, The 1619 Project, the 9/11 theory, Critical Race Theory, etc.” will not be presented to students unless approved by the school board in a public meeting.

It also includes a statement that “publicly funded resources will not be used to support programs, curricula or supplemental material in any format that indoctrinate students in a single social, political or ideological theory, or that promote one race, religion or sex above another.”

Other components include encouraging eligible students to register to vote and respecting the free speech of students, administrators, teachers and other staff.

School board member Dayle Ferguson summed up the revision as emphasizing that “the Mars Area School District loves America.”

“No one should wonder, worry or assume where this school district stands. We will teach our children to honor America, to love themselves and to respect each other,” she said. “This, right here and right now, is the power and importance of local control. We are exercising it, and we need to guard it and protect it.”

The addition hasn't been posted on the district website yet, but once it is posted, a 30-day period for public comment and review will begin for the draft policy.

The revision would not remove or change any existing language that is already part of the district's mission statement.