Farmington schools weigh ban on dead student memorials

In a perfect world — or even a slightly better one — high school kids wouldn’t die or be killed and school boards wouldn’t have to have the conversation the Farmington School District is about to have.

It’s trying to prevent school grounds from starting to look like a cemetery because of memorials to students who died.

Sun Newspapers reports the district is considering a policy that would ban permanent memorials to the dead students. That would eliminate, for example, the planting of a tree in a student’s memory.

“School is supposed to be a cheerful place — a place for learning,” Director of Educational Programs Barb Duffrin told the paper. She said the policy is being pushed by school counselors.

There’s also the problem of unequal treatment of dead students. Some students get the recognition; some don’t.

The policy being considered in Farmington stops short of one adopted in Lakeville, where memorials to students are removed a decade after the death.