Updated at 4:45 p.m. to include Twitter post from Prestonwood Pastor Jack Graham.

For months, parents and community members have rallied at McKinney ISD school board meetings — some with signs and speeches — to wage the age-old constitutional fight over the separation of church and state.

Now, it appears that battle, at least in McKinney, is winding down for now. The district announced last week that it will hold this year's graduation for its three high schools at the Allen Event Center, abandoning a more than decade-long tradition of hosting commencement ceremonies at Prestonwood Baptist Church.

The decision on the site comes after several community members expressed concern about the presence of religion at some schools and district events.

And it follows just a few weeks after district officials had said that moving the graduation away from Prestonwood couldn't be done this year because the plans for the event are made at least a year in advance.

"Our goal as a district is to make certain that 100 percent of the focus is on the students, and the event is about honoring our graduates," said district spokesman Cody Cunningham, adding that the location for commencement hadn't become an issue until recent years.

Last week, high school principals sent an email to parents telling them about the change and offering to reprint invitations or graduation announcements at no cost.

Cunningham said feedback from parents and those who've voiced concerns has been positive.

"They've thanked the district for making that move, and they've been very appreciative as well," Cunningham said.

Prestonwood officials did not return calls for comment. But in a Twitter post, Pastor Jack Graham called McKinney ISD's move a "cowardly decision."

It appears religious freedom is under attack at the Mckinney Public Schools. It was our refusal to remove the cross from view that created this cowardly decision https://t.co/O9dCurijZq — Jack Graham (@jackngraham) February 13, 2018

Working for change

Community members have pointed to concerns in recent years about religious displays in classrooms and graduation and convocation ceremonies at Prestonwood Baptist Church. They also complained about a prayer Superintendent Rick McDaniel led in August during a mandatory back-to-school convocation at the church for district employees.

More recently, others have called for more staff inclusion and diversity training after the discovery of anti-Islamic and anti-LGBTQ tweets posted by two middle school teachers who have since resigned.

Complaints sent to the Freedom From Religion Foundation — a nonprofit organization advocating for separation of church and state — about some of these issues date to at least 2015.

McKinney ISD school board member Lynn Sperry and Superintendent Rick McDaniel listened to Farah Uddin speak at the monthly school board meeting on Jan. 23. (Ron Baselice / Staff Photographer)

Since last fall, a small, loosely organized interfaith group has regularly attended school board meetings each month to speak during open forum about these issues, telling the board "we're not going away."

And in January, parents and other residents packed the school board meeting on the heels of the voluntary resignations of Cockrill Middle School teachers Justin Barton and Mark Russell, who posted tweets referring to transgender people as having a "mental illness" and called Islam a "satanic death cult."

Though critics' reasons for speaking out have varied — some have lobbied for separation of church and state, others for diversity and inclusion — they have said that they all have the same goals: To make their schools "safe and comfortable for every single kid."

"McKinney ISD has been stepping up," said Jill Oyler, who has two children in the district and has regularly attended board meetings since the fall, advocating for separation of church and state. "We foresee them to be continuing to step up and do right by the legal system, thus by their students."

Ayesha Uddin (left) recorded one of the speakers at the McKinney ISD school board meeting on Jan. 23. (Ron Baselice / Staff Photographer)

This month, Oyler was among a group of community members to meet with McDaniel and board members to discuss their concerns. She said some who have been critical of the district were considering a lawsuit if McKinney ISD didn't make changes. The meeting was one in a series of talks district officials have had with people since that contentious board meeting in January

No 'fear of a lawsuit'

But Cunningham said "fear of a lawsuit" was not the driving force behind the district changing its graduation venue.

"This is really not about a disagreement between the district and the Freedom from Religion group or anything like that," Cunningham said. "It was a decision made to keep the focus on our kids."

Though the district had planned to hold this year's graduations at Prestonwood as in years past, it hadn't signed the contract for the 2018 ceremonies. According to its 2016 and 2017 contracts, the district paid Prestonwood $39,700 each year to hold graduations at the church.

Members of the class of 2016 participated in the McKinney High School graduation ceremony at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano on June 3, 2016. (File Photo)

The 2017 contract stipulated that a Prestonwood minister would give a "brief welcome at the beginning of each graduation." It also stated that no items, including flowers, could cover or block the view of the cross on the podium.

"We are excited that they realize that there was an issue and they took care of it, or at least they are taking care of it," Oyler said of district officials.

"There are a lot of great things going on in McKinney ISD. That's why we keep our kids here."

Oyler, who said she is an atheist, said McDaniel also has promised that he will not pray as a superintendent at any official school events.

Moving on

Cunningham said the cost and capacity to host graduation at the Allen Event Center is comparable to Prestonwood. The event center also is half the distance for families in McKinney to drive than the Plano Baptist church.

The district will pay about $40,000 to the event center to hold its three graduation ceremonies on June 8. Parents also will have the option to purchase tickets in suites for $25 a seat. That money will go to the event center, not the district, Cunningham said.

Lovejoy ISD, Melissa ISD, Princeton ISD and Wylie ISD also plan to hold graduations this year at the Allen Event Center.

Plans are underway for McKinney ISD to host its back-to-school convocation for employees before the 2018-19 school year begins at the district's new $69.9 million stadium and event center.