IRVINE

Irvine Unified School District trustees have overruled their own new policy to approve memorial benches for a Woodbridge High School student who died in a car accident in March.

District officials had put the project on hold while trustees considered a new memorial policy, which was adopted Tuesday.

In the future, deceased students or teachers may be honored only through scholarships, plantings or book collections. One memorial per loss will be permitted under the new rules, and plaques may be displayed only for the school year during which the death occurred.

Trustees decided to allow the benches, however, after supporters of a memorial for Kristin Godfrey, a 16-year-old sophomore, made an appeal at Tuesday’s meeting.

“Maybe you can grandfather this project and put it under the current policy,” said Glenn White, speaking on behalf of his son, Chris.

The Woodbridge High junior, who was unable to attend the meeting, wanted to build two concrete benches as an Eagle Scout project and form them into a “friendship circle” to honor his best friend.