This year, Big Sky High School has reinstated a not-so-new state law into the school day.

In 1997, there was a law that passed in the state of Montana that requires citing the pledge of allegiance each day in public schools. The law, MCA 20-7-133, states, “the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America must be recited in all public schools of the state and may be followed by a moment of silence.” 

Big Sky High School has put this law in place just this year after a community member that subs at some of the other MCPS schools made a public comment during a recent school board meeting, complaining about how some schools in the district are not following this law.

Jennifer Courtney, Big Sky’s principal, says that in the past years teachers were supposed to lead the pledge in their first period every day, but didn’t really implement it. 

This year, every morning just after 10 a.m.  Big Sky seniors Cole Silberstein and Kade Dunning read the daily announcements and lead the pledge of allegiance.  While students and teachers are not obligated to participate in the pledge of allegiance, some shared their opinions about the law that has been brought to Big Sky this year.

Jeffrey Boespflug, who teaches vocational education and study skills at Big Sky, said the change is nothing new because “he grew up saying it every morning.” 

Boespflug says that it felt weird not reciting the pledge before this year because he lived in Great Falls, which is a military town, and around 90% of the kids he went to school with had connection to the base, so the pledge helped show support for the flag and support for the country. 

“I never looked at it as being political. It was always just we say this because it’s to honor our country and honor the flag,” Boespflug said. 

 Laci Dunfee, who teaches photography, digital design, and yearbook, had a different view. She said that she did not know Big Sky teachers were supposed to lead the pledge at the beginning of class before this school year, and that she doesn’t feel that the pledge should be necessary or required in an everyday school day. 

“I don’t think it is necessary. I think that kids just stand and nobody says it. So it is a waste of time,” Dunfee said about the pledge. 

Some students feel that it is necessary, but most students don’t do it. Averi Larson, one of Big Sky’s student body presidents, says that the pledge is  “just to show pride for our country, but also no one really does it.” 

Larson then went  on to say that it takes up part of the school day  but being an American is a privilege and that is why we do it.