As a parent in the Vail Unified School District, I’m deeply troubled by the district’s decision to move forward with plans to construct a seminary building for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Cienega High School property.

This is not just a local land use decision — this is a moment where we must ask ourselves what public education stands for and who our schools are meant to serve.

Public schools should be a neutral ground. They are one of the few places where all families, regardless of belief or background, can send their children with the assurance that their values won’t be imposed upon or undermined.

By allowing a religious institution to fund, build, and occupy a classroom-sized space on campus for religious instruction — during school hours and on school grounds — the district is not staying neutral. It is making an exception for one specific faith, and in doing so, it's setting a dangerous precedent.

This is not about opposition to any one religion. It’s about fairness. It’s about transparency. And it’s about protecting the fundamental separation of church and state that ensures all our children — of any or no faith — feel equally safe and respected in public schools.

The fact that this agreement was signed before the board even voted on it is beyond frustrating.

As parents and community members, we were left out of a process that affects all of us. We weren’t given the chance to weigh in before this decision was quietly finalized. Now we’re told it’s legal and that it’s too late to change course. But we believe otherwise.

This isn’t just about legality — it’s about trust. And that trust has been broken.

We’re calling on the Vail Unified School District to immediately halt all plans for this project. Walk this back. Show that you are truly listening to your community, and that you are willing to protect the integrity of our public schools.

We support religious freedom. But freedom of religion also means freedom from religious influence in publicly funded, secular spaces. This building, however well-intentioned, blurs that line in a way that no public school district should allow.

Our children deserve better. Our schools deserve to remain neutral. And our community deserves to be heard.

Please sign and share this petition to stop the construction of the LDS seminary building on Cienega High School campus before it sets a precedent that we can’t undo.

 

Photo: KGUN Tucson