Public Notice: An Invitation to Provide Invocations Before Board Meetings
PUBLIC NOTICE
An Invitation to Provide Invocations Before Board Meetings
of the Catawba County Board of Education
NEWTON, March 14, 2026 – The religious leaders or chosen leaders of any organized assembly that periodically worships or regularly meets in Catawba County for the purpose of worshipping or discussing their religious perspectives are invited to offer an invocation before a meeting of the Catawba County Board of Education.
The Board generally meets on the fourth Monday of every month at 6:00 p.m. The Board of Education schedule runs from January through December.
Volunteer invocational speakers are free to offer an invocation to the Board of Education according to the dictates of their own conscience. The Board requests only that the purpose of the invocation be to solemnize the occasion and that speakers not promote one faith or belief system over others, disparage other faiths or belief systems, attempt to convert others to the speaker’s faith or belief system, or ask audience members to participate.
Policy and Guidelines: 2.3150 Opening Invocations Before Board Meetings.pdf
Volunteer invocational speakers may sign up for regular board meetings from March 2026 through December 2026 by completing and submitting the request form or by emailing Debbie Whetzel, Board Assistant, at debbie_whetzel@catawbaschools.net
The deadline to sign up is Wednesday, April 15, 2026, by 5:00 p.m.
If more than one potential invocational speaker signs up for the same board meeting, the invocation speaker will be selected at random by a lottery conducted by the Superintendent or the Superintendent's designee. Participants who have been selected will be notified.