Governor Culver has joined the governors of over 20 other states in ordering that the United States and Iowa flags be flown at half-staff to honor any Iowa resident serving in the U.S. Armed Forces who is killed in the line of duty. The flags at all public buildings and facilities (of course, this includes public schools) are to be flown half-staff upon the day of interment of the deceased or as otherwise ordered by the Governor.

The United States Flag Code (4 U.S.C. sections 1-8) give governors this authority. Other days when both flags are to be flown half-staff include any time per presidential proclamation and on the following days:

• May 15, Peace Officers Memorial Day
• September 11, Patriot Day
• December 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
• Memorial Day (date varies), but only at half-staff until noon. At noon, the flags are to be hoisted to full-staff.

If school is not in session on any day when flags are ordered to be flown half-staff, there is no requirement to have a district employee tend to this duty. That is, if school is not in session, a district does not need to fly the flags at all. For more information about flag etiquette, see http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html.