WAUKEE, Iowa – Waukee school board members want all students in the district to recite the Pledge of Allegiance regularly, and directed school staff to ask high school students to participate.

School board members at a meeting Monday directed administrators to implement the Pledge of Allegiance at Waukee High School after parent Mike Everitt questioned why it’s not a requirement in the district after 10^th grade, The Des Moines Register reports.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

Board vice president David Cunningham said he believes all students should say the pledge every day because many take their freedoms for granted.

“I don’t care that there aren’t any other schools doing it. We should start a trend,” he said. “I think it’s a good thing and I think our kids should be saying it every day.”

Others, like board president Mary Scheve agreed, but thought students might “make a mockery of it” if required to recite the pledge daily. She noted that staff canceled daily announcements because students ignore them, the Register reports.

“You worry if it’s a daily occurrence it will be easier for them to just slough it off,” board member Ethan Huisman added.

Students in Waukee elementary and middle schools say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning, and eighth and ninth grade students also pledge once a week on Mondays. Board members debated the best time for the high school to implement the requirement, but school officials are expected to meet with superintendent Dave Wilkerson soon to hash out the details, KCCI reports.

Wilkerson told the Register high school students have never been asked to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the 22 years he’s worked for the school system. All Waukee High School classrooms already have flags, installed three years ago, so there is no additional cost in adding the pledge.

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

Wilkerson said it likely will be a few weeks before the high school implements the new policy. The Register noted that the school board does not say the Pledge of Allegiance at meetings.

The decision to ask high schoolers to participate in the pledge prompted mixed reactions from readers online.

“A victory for compulsory patriotism,” Timothy Laake wrote. “A loss for freedom and liberty.”

“Lol, because pledges are so effective,” EverServer wrote, “example: marriages.”

“Congrats to the people of Waukee!!” BigShooter posted.

“Excellent!” Lynn Cowden commented.

“Make it a robotic daily requirement and it becomes meaningless,” Steven Roulet-St. Pierre wrote.

“I believe all children should be saying the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. I grew up in Oskaloosa and this was the norm. I think our society is making a mockery of the first amendment rights by discriminating against everything this country stands for,” Shelly Edwards posted.

“It’s inherently creepy when children are indoctrinated into things they don’t understand; the pledge is no exception. They don’t understand the commitment they’re making and the whole process should be stopped. Alienating children who object to this practice is also unacceptable – if you want your kids to pledge allegiance to something then do it at home,” Evan Gunderson wrote.