Coldwater School District Statement: 2-28-20

Some misinformation is circulating regarding an FFA activity that occurred this morning. Once a year the FFA has an activity during which students drive tractors in a parade on school grounds. Tractors are not otherwise allowed to be driven to school, and the activity is only open to members of the school’s FFA. This is an FFA activity.

Before this morning’s FFA activity, students made their advisor know of their intention to decorate their tractors with political messages. They were informed that while they are free to do so outside of this school activity (including as they drove down public roads to campus), once their tractors were on school grounds as part of the FFA event they were to remove these political decorations. Students were advised to wear official FFA dress and that the purpose of this activity was to promote the FFA, farmers, and agriculture. No students were told they would be suspended or that any activities would be cancelled in relation to this.

As with all voluntary student activities – whether it is a sport, an arts event, or some other club – the district does not allow political speech in favor of or against any candidate, party, or issue. Our voluntary student activities are open to all students and are meant to serve as uniting events for the school community.

Following video was submitted to the Outlook on today’s incident –

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