CENTRAL – Central High School will have the national anthem play at its homecoming pep rally Friday, after outraged families responded to an announcement that the school planned to skip the song.

Sandy Davis, the assistant superintendent, said the original decision to not perform the anthem was made "amid safety concerns."  She stopped short of saying that she thought students might become violent.

"There are students that feel strongly one way and students that feel strongly the other way," she said.

The school will require that all teachers and all administrative staff attend the pep rally to quell safety concerns.

Davis said the school system understands its community and considered the reaction of students and parents in its decision.

When parents learned about the original plan to not have the National Anthem at the function during school hours, parents took to social media to share their outrage.  

“My son along with the rest of the choir were going to be singing the NATIONAL ANTHEM… he informed me last night that the school will not allow them to sing the National Anthem,” a parent wrote on Facebook.

While there was a moment when the National Anthem was not going to be part of the school day Friday, school officials said it never was going to be pulled from after-school activities.  

Before the school decided to allow the National Anthem, a large group of parents gathered at the school to discuss the change with school leaders.  

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