Freedom of religion, freedom of education

School officials walk a fine line between freedom of speech and freedom of religion when it comes to the clothes worn by students.

But students also have to know they're walking a fine line when they wear provocative messages and symbols. If they're hoping to get a reaction, they quite possibly will - such as being sent home to change.

The Carson City School Board is expected to hear this week from a woman who says she's with the Pagan Alliance of Nevada and is concerned that school officials have been confiscating pentacles associated with the religion.

We're hard-pressed to think of any religion through the ages which hasn't been persecuted at some time or another by some culture or another. America was founded on a principle of freedom of religion as a safe harbor from religious persecution.

But we can't imagine for a moment that Carson High administrators - fully aware of a Supreme Court decision from the Vietnam war era - would somehow decide they should be cracking down on pagan symbols as a matter of religious preference.

High school is a time when young people are experimenting with their beliefs, expressing strong emotions about politics or faith or any of a hundred other matters. Their convictions may last a lifetime, or they may change in a couple of weeks.

The best school atmosphere is one that encourages them to keep an open mind, to learn more about their particular cause and more about the people who believe just the opposite. The principles of free speech and religion operate on the theory that, when there are no restrictions, individuals will be able to decide on their own what is best for themselves and for the community.

Whether it's a cross, peace sign or pentagram, symbols can touch off serious debates about the most consequential issues in society. Schools are great places to have those discussions - as long as they don't disrupt the math, science and history that are the students' primary reasons for being there.