“In God We Trust” displayed at Redfield School in compliance with new SD law

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“In God We Trust” displayed at Redfield School in compliance with new SD law

By Shiloh Appel

As Redfield students begin their first day of school for the 2019-2020 school year on September 3rd, they will be greeted with the words “In God We Trust” flanked with the American flag. The words are printed on a sign stationed near the Redfield High School office and the sign is displayed in compliance with the new law passed by South Dakota legislature earlier this year requiring “In God We Trust” to be featured in a prominent location in every school in South Dakota. The national motto’s letters must be at least twelve inches high in order to comply with the law. Redfield School District will not only feature the high school sign, but will also have two more identical signs on display: one in the elementary office and one in the school’s lunchroom.

“We are waiting on placing our other two signs until the construction is completed in some of the areas,” said superintendent, George Seiler.

Displaying the national motto is already allowed or required in Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, and Arizona. The signage is also going up in Kentucky schools and similar legislation has been introduced in Missouri. Nevertheless, South Dakota’s new law has made national news and received opposition from the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

“Our position is that it’s a terrible violation of freedom of conscience to inflict a godly message on a captive audience of schoolchildren,” said Freedom From Religion Foundation co-President Annie Laurie Taylor in an interview with the Associated Press.

In an online poll conducted by Keloland, out of 18.1 thousand votes, 45 percent of voters supported the motto being displayed in public schools and 55 percent did not.

Locally, however, reception of the motto’s display is yet to be determined.