Broward Schools to Vote to Recognize National Day of Prayer

The Broward School Board will consider a resolution in support of National Day of Prayer at their Tuesday meeting. This proposal mirrors one approved unanimously by the Miami-Dade School Board last month.

"I'm glad that we're discussing the opportunity of recognizing the "National Day of Prayer" at Broward County Public Schools. I have never been one to shy away from my beliefs and I know that this resolution will recognize people of all fathers and backgrounds. Our community is going through a lot, and I believe now more than ever that Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort," Board Member Dan Foganholi, who introduced the Resolution, told the Floridian in a written statement.

"National Day of Prayer is a day of observance held annually on the first Thursday of May. This year, the National Day of Prayer will be on Thursday, May 4, 2023 and calls all people of different faiths in the United States to pray for the nation and its leaders," the Resolution reads.

President Harry Truman signed a law in 1952 proclaiming a National Day of Prayer and President Ronald Reagan approved an amendment in 1988, designating the first Thursday of May as the National Day of Prayer, according to the Resolution.

It is unclear whether the National Day of Prayer has been official observed in the Broward School District in recent years, but this Resolution will make it official.

"The School Board of Broward County, Florida, hereby declares May 4, 2023 as National Day of Prayer and urges all schools, centers, departments, parents, businesses, governmental and community agencies and the entire community to participate in the celebration of the significant role prayer plays in shaping the lives of our students and the future of our great nation," the Resolution reads.

The item will be discussed on Tuesday at at 8:45am special meeting and will be open for public comment.