~TC Will there be Christmas trees in Baltimore County schools this December?
Will Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" be on the approved list or outlawed?
Will rabbits be permitted on Easter-time bulletin boards?
These are some of the questions arising as the school board tries to put to rest the thorny issue of religious holiday celebrations.
The board is considering a proposal that would allow so-called "secular" celebrations of religious holidays in the schools. The proposal would also allow traditional symbols such as Santa Claus -- if those symbols are approved as secular by a committee of clergymen.
But Richard Bavaria, the school system's director of arts and humanities, warned the board at its Wednesday meeting that on this issue, "compromise satisfies almost no one. You have the basic conflict between public policy and private needs."
The proposal comes in the wake of a long-simmering debate over holiday practices at Hillcrest Elementary School in Catonsville, where Jewish families have objected to Christmas symbols and celebrations while some Christian families have fought to preserve them.
Last winter, Superintendent Stuart Berger appointed a task force to resolve the issue for the county, and the panel drew up a proposal that would have virtually banned secular celebrations of religious holidays.
Some members of the task force now say they're upset because Dr. Berger watered down their proposal before offering his plan to the board Wednesday. They say his policy, should it be approved, will continue to treat some children unfairly, particularly those who are not Christian and don't celebrate Christmas.
The issue is whether it is possible to separate secular celebrations and symbols from the religious holidays they commemorate.
Task force member Marjory Zeiler -- who is a Christian -- argued that "secular symbols of religious holidays are religious" because the only people who use them are those who observe religious feasts.
The policy statement before the board consists of two paragraphs.
"While it is appropriate to acknowledge the secular aspects of religious holidays, it is not within the proper role of the Baltimore County Public Schools to celebrate the religious aspects of any one or more religious holidays," the statement reads.
But there are 4 1/2 pages of "administrative rules" accompanying it. Those rules would allow holiday symbols "considered secular by a majority of the community," such as Santa Claus. This is in opposition to the task force, which said "it is not within the [schools'] proper role . . . to celebrate either the religious or secular aspects of any one or more religious holidays."
The task force wanted to prohibit a variety of symbols, including "Buddha, the Green Crescent and Star, the Star of David, witches, the Easter Bunny, candy canes, crosses, menorahs, nativity scenes and New Age crystals."
"It really is a slap in the face," Mrs. Zeiler said of Dr. Berger's changes.
"I am disappointed that the proposed policy has been miniaturized so much that it does not do any good," Dr. Bash Pharoan told the board. "My religion is Islam. But my kids are being bombarded by different types of messages . . . in the name of celebration."
The main argument of those who oppose even the secular observance of holidays is that it makes children feel left out, hurt and rejected.
But Dr. Berger's proposal states, "it is further the policy of the Baltimore County Public Schools not to exclude any student on religious grounds or send a message that any student is not a full member of the community due to his or her religious beliefs."
Both proposals would prohibit the use of religious drama and music or secular music pertaining to religious holidays "as part of holiday celebrations." They would not rule out religious music, art, drama, literature or symbols within the curriculum.
"To study Handel's Messiah is fine," said Dr. Bavaria, who served on the task force and presented the superintendent's proposal to the board. But it would not be appropriate to perform Handel's "Messiah" in a holiday concert, he said.
The superintendent's proposal, scheduled for a Nov. 22 vote, would replace an existing policy that prohibits religious indoctrination, worship services and the display of religious symbols, but deals with secular celebrations only with regard to music and drama productions.
The superintendent was out of town yesterday and unavailable for comment.
Task force Chairwoman Jeanne Page said Dr. Berger made it clear to members that he did not want to be the one to take Santa Claus or Halloween parties away from students. However, in appointing the task force last winter, Dr. Berger said he wanted a consistent policy that would not be open to interpretation by individual teachers and principals.
While he acknowledged the task force's hard work, Dr. Bavaria said the superintendent had made it clear that he would not be bound by its recommendations.
Under the proposal, those with questions about religious and secular celebrations would go first to school officials and then to the assistant to the superintendent for student relations, who would be required to respond "orally on the next school day unless more rapid action is necessary."
In one of the few comments from board members, Phyllis Ettinger applauded this "resolution" process.
"As we begin to implement, there are going to be questions," she said. "Within the first year, we may need a holiday SWAT team."