Source: The Bradenton Herald
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/11240629.htm
On March 27, 2005 The Bradenton Herald reported, "Jesus can be found in the classrooms and curriculum of Manatee County's public schools. He's in the textbooks, activity sheets and study guides of high school history and social studies courses, along with other important historical figures from other major religions such as Moses, Muhammad and Siddartha Gautama, more commonly known as Buddha... Trying to teach history without explaining the role of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism or other prominent religious movements would be senseless, according to local teachers... In an age when issues involving separation of church and state often spark controversy, the key for public school instructors is to keep discussion of religion on an academic plane and to avoid interjecting one's personal opinions into the discourse, teachers said."