Newly Merged School Board Will Open Meetings With Prayer

According to a report yesterday from WQAD News, the Mercer County, Illinois School Board has decided to open each of its meetings with a prayer. Superintendent Alan Boucher said they were advised by legal counsel that this would be permissible so long as prayers are non-sectarian and the Board does not favor one religion over another. An organization of local ministers will rotate the prayer among its members. The Mercer Board is newly formed from a merger of the Westmer and Aledo school districts. The Aledo board previously opened its meetings with prayer.