Keeping proselytizing out of public schools — and keeping families in charge of children’s religious upbringing.
Public schools should be places where every child feels safe, welcome and free to learn — regardless of what they believe or don’t believe.
For decades, courts made that promise real by keeping public schools neutral on religion. But today, those long-settled protections are being challenged, weakened or ignored — leaving students vulnerable, families sidelined and educators uncertain.
The KPOP Act changes that.
What Is the KPOP Act?
The Keep Proselytizing Out of Public Schools (KPOP) Act is a model state bill that writes decades of Supreme Court precedent directly into state law, creating durable protections for students’ freedom of conscience — no matter what happens in federal courts.
This isn’t a new law.
It’s a secular bill of rights that reinforces what the Constitution has long required:
Public schools must remain neutral on religion — so families can guide their own children’s beliefs.
This bill protects religion by keeping government out of it.
Right now, students and schools are facing real harm:
No child should have to choose between fitting in and following their conscience.
The Solution: Clear Rules. Durable Protections.
The KPOP Act takes long-established rulings and locks them into state law, ensuring that:
Neutrality is what makes freedom possible.
Download the KPOP Guide & Advocacy Toolkit
This page houses two complementary resources built for immediate action.
A clear, plain-language overview of:
What the KPOP Act is — and why it matters.
The KPOP Advocacy Toolkit
Designed for FFRF Action Fund advocates, this toolkit equips you to confidently engage with:
What’s inside:
Enforcement That Actually Works
The KPOP Act doesn’t just set standards — it makes them enforceable.
Clear rules mean fewer lawsuits, fewer conflicts, and more time for learning.
The Bottom Line
The KPOP Act is:
It preserves the best traditions of American public education: schools where every child belongs and every family’s beliefs — or nonbelief — are respected.
Take Action
Help protect students in your state.
This toolkit gives you ready-to-use language to help advance the KPOP Act in your state. Whether you’re contacting a legislator, posting on social media, writing a letter to the editor or talking with friends and neighbors, these assets are designed to make it easy to explain why keeping public schools neutral on religion protects every child’s freedom of conscience.
Use them as written, personalize them or adapt them to your voice — every conversation helps.
Note: In the example below, the KPOP Act is referred to as the Student Secular Bill of Rights because that is the most common title of the bill as currently introduced.
Calling is one of the most effective ways to make your voice heard.
This short script is designed to help you confidently explain your support for the KPOP Act in just a few minutes. You don’t need to be an expert — simply sharing why this issue matters to you can make a real impact.
“Hello, my name is ____. I’m calling as a constituent to urge Senator/Representative ____ to support the Student Secular Bill of Rights. This bill protects every child’s freedom of conscience by keeping public schools neutral on religion and giving parents — not the government — control over their children’s religious upbringing. It simply codifies decades of Supreme Court precedent into state law. Please support the KPOP Act.”
Use this email to contact your state legislator.
This message explains what the KPOP Act does, why it matters now, and how it protects families, students and educators alike. Feel free to personalize it with your own story or concerns — lawmakers pay attention when constituents speak directly and clearly.
Note: In the examples below, the KPOP Act is referred to as the Student Secular Bill of Rights because that is the most common title of the bill as currently introduced.
Subject: Please Support the Student Secular Bill of Rights
Dear [Legislator],
I’m writing to ask you to support the Student Secular Bill of Rights, which protects every student’s freedom of conscience and keeps public schools welcoming to children of all faiths and none. The bill simply writes long-settled Supreme Court precedent into state law, preventing religious coercion and reducing costly litigation for school districts.
This is a common-sense, pro-family, pro-freedom bill. Please support it.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[City]
Use this letter to engage your local school board constructively and clearly.
This template is designed to help you explain why the KPOP Act matters at the local level — for students, families, educators and the district as a whole. It emphasizes shared values like inclusion, fairness and clarity, while underscoring that public schools must remain neutral on religion to serve all students well.
Feel free to personalize the letter with your role in the community (parent, educator, student, taxpayer or resident) and any relevant experiences in your district. School board members pay close attention to thoughtful, solutions-oriented input from their communities.
Subject: Please Support the Student Secular Bill of Rights
Dear Members of the School Board,
I’m writing to urge you to support the principles of the Student Secular Bill of Rights and publicly affirm that our district will continue to uphold students’ freedom of conscience. Every child — religious or nonreligious — deserves to learn in an environment free from religious pressure, coercion or school-sponsored religious activity.
This issue impacts teachers and administrators as much as it impacts families. Clear, constitutionally grounded policies help reduce confusion and protect the district from avoidable litigation while ensuring our schools remain welcoming to every student.
Public schools serve all of us. I hope our district will stand firmly on the side of neutrality, fairness, and inclusion.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[City]
[School/Student Connection, if any]
Subject: Ensuring Our Schools Are Welcoming for All Students
Dear School Board Members,
As a community member who cares deeply about the well-being of all students, I’m asking you to support the protections outlined in the Student Secular Bill of Rights and to reaffirm our district’s commitment to religious neutrality in our public schools. The Student Secular Bill of Rights reflects long-established Supreme Court rulings and gives districts clear, consistent guidelines.
Families in our district come from many backgrounds — Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, atheist and more. No child should ever feel like an outsider because of what they believe or don’t believe. Keeping our schools neutral on religion honors these differences and ensures every student feels safe and included.
To that end, please ensure that our administration team understands and protects students’ right to a secular public school system. The Board should ensure that teachers have clear guidance on how to avoid any appearance of school-sponsored religious preferences.
Supporting these protections would demonstrate our shared commitment to fairness, respect, and educational integrity. Thank you for your service to our community and for considering this request.
Warm regards,
[Name]
[City]
[Optional: My child attends ____ School.]
Parent/Caregiver voice
Subject: Please Protect Our Kids’ Freedom of Conscience
Dear Members of the School Board,
As a parent, I want my child — and every child — to feel safe and respected when they walk into school each day. That includes feeling free to follow their own conscience when it comes to religion.
I’m writing to ask you to support the protections in the Student Secular Bill of Rights and to ensure our district maintains clear, constitutionally grounded policies that prevent religious pressure in classrooms, at school events, or during instruction.
This is not about limiting anyone’s faith. Students can and should remain free to pray privately, wear religious clothing, and express their beliefs. This is about preventing school-sponsored religion so that no child feels isolated, singled out, or coerced.
Neutrality is what protects all families — religious and nonreligious alike. It allows every student to learn and grow without fear of judgment or pressure.
Thank you for protecting that freedom for our kids.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[City]
[Your student’s school]
Use your local voice to shape the conversation.
This template helps you explain the KPOP Act in clear, values-based terms for a general audience. Local media outlets are especially influential with lawmakers, and short letters from community members can go a long way.
Note: In the examples below, the KPOP Act is referred to as the Student Secular Bill of Rights because that is the most common title of the bill as currently introduced.
Our public schools should be places where every child is treated fairly, no matter what they believe. But today, kids across our state are being pressured to join prayers or are exposed to school-sponsored religious messaging. That’s not freedom — it’s coercion.
The Student Secular Bill of Rights would fix this by putting longstanding Supreme Court rulings into state law. It protects kids’ freedom of conscience, gives parents control over their child’s religious upbringing, and provides clear rules for schools.
This is a pro-family, pro-freedom bill. Our legislators should pass it.
Letter to the editor (Family/Parent POV) – Expanded
Public schools are meant to be the great equalizer — places where every child can learn without fear of judgment, exclusion or pressure to conform. Yet across our state, students in some schools are being encouraged to participate in classroom prayers, urged to adopt specific religious viewpoints or made to feel like outsiders for declining to join. That’s not religious freedom — that’s coercion dressed up as tradition.
Faith is personal. It belongs in homes, families and communities — not on the agenda of public schools. Parents, not government-paid staff, should decide what religious beliefs, if any, their children are taught. When schools overstep that boundary, everyone loses: students who feel pressured, teachers caught in legal gray areas and districts vulnerable to expensive lawsuits.
The Student Secular Bill of Rights offers a simple, common-sense solution. By putting longstanding Supreme Court decisions into our state statutes, it would create durable protections that don’t depend on the whims of future courts. It affirms every child’s freedom of conscience, ensures our public schools remain welcoming to students of all faiths and none, and protects personal religious expression while preventing government-sponsored religion.
This isn’t partisan — it’s foundational. It’s what Thomas Jefferson envisioned when he described the “wall of separation between church and state,” a wall that protects believers and nonbelievers alike. Passing the Student Secular Bill of Rights is how we keep that promise.
If we want public schools where all children can learn and thrive, free from religious pressure, our legislators must act. The Student Secular Bill of Rights is pro-family, pro-freedom and pro-fairness. It deserves swift passage.
Public schools serve students from many backgrounds — Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, atheist and more. No student should feel like an outsider because of what they believe.
The Student Secular Bill of Rights ensures public schools stay neutral on religion, protecting personal expression while preventing school-sponsored prayer or religious pressure. It’s not new law; it simply codifies decades of Supreme Court precedent.
Protect our students. Pass the Student Secular Bill of Rights.
I’m a student in our state, and like a lot of my classmates, I just want school to be a place where I can learn, make friends and be myself. But more and more, students in some public schools are being asked to pray in class, are pressured to bow their heads at assemblies, or treated differently because they don’t follow the “right” religion. It’s awkward, it’s isolating and it feels wrong.
Public schools shouldn’t play favorites with religion. When teachers or coaches lead prayers or promote religious messages, it doesn’t make everyone feel included — it leaves some of us feeling like outsiders. Some of us stay silent, some fake participation just to avoid attention and some go home feeling like we did something wrong for believing differently.
The Student Secular Bill of Rights offers a solution. It doesn’t ban personal prayer or stop students from expressing their beliefs in clubs, for example — those personal rights are protected. What it does is draw a clear line so that school officials can’t host religious rituals or events, or pressure kids into religious activities or otherwise endorse religion in the classroom. That’s fair to everyone, whether they’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, atheist, agnostic or something else entirely.
School should be a place where we’re learning math, science and history — not have to navigate the religious expectations of a school authority figure. The Student Secular Bill of Rights protects our freedom to think for ourselves and follow our own beliefs without fear of judgment or punishment.
If we want public schools that truly belong to all of us, our legislators need to pass the Student Secular Bill of Rights. It’s not radical — it’s respectful. And it’s the right thing to do.
Help spread the word.
These posts are designed for quick sharing on social media to raise awareness about the KPOP Act and why keeping public schools neutral on religion protects all students. Copy, paste, tweak the language or add your own perspective — every share helps move the conversation forward.
Note: If you are supporting a KPOP Act in your state with a different title, such as the Student Secular Bill of Rights, be sure to reference the title of the bill.
Public schools serve everyone.
The #KPOPAct protects every student’s freedom of conscience by keeping schools neutral on religion — and letting families guide their kids’ faith.
This isn’t new law. It’s long-standing Supreme Court precedent. Learn more: ffrfaction.org/keep-proselytizing-out-of-schools-kpop-act/
Post 2
No student should feel like an outsider because of their beliefs — or nonbelief.
The #KPOPAct ensures public schools stay welcoming to ALL students. Learn more: ffrfaction.org/keep-proselytizing-out-of-schools-kpop-act/
Post 3
Kids can pray. Kids can wear religious symbols. Kids can form religious clubs.
The #KPOPAct simply stops school-sponsored religion.
Freedom from coercion = freedom for personal belief. Learn more: ffrfaction.org/keep-proselytizing-out-of-schools-kpop-act/
Post 1
Every child deserves to learn in a public school where they feel safe, welcome and respected — no matter what they believe or don’t believe.
The KPOP Act protects students from religious pressure by keeping schools neutral on religion and affirming families’ right to guide their own children’s faith.
This isn’t new law — it simply puts decades of Supreme Court precedent into state statute.
Let’s protect freedom of conscience for ALL kids. Learn more: ffrfaction.org/keep-proselytizing-out-of-schools-kpop-act/
Post 2
Students from all backgrounds attend our public schools — Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, atheist and more.
No student should feel singled out, pressured or excluded because of their beliefs.
The KPOP Act ensures that public schools stay welcoming and fair to every child by preventing school-sponsored religion while fully protecting personal religious expression.
This is a commonsense, pro-family, pro-freedom bill. #KPOPAct. Learn more: ffrfaction.org/keep-proselytizing-out-of-schools-kpop-act/
Post 3
Let’s be clear:
The KPOP Act does NOT ban individual prayer. It does NOT ban religious clubs. It does NOT ban wearing religious symbols.
It only stops school-sponsored religion — the kind of pressure that makes kids feel like outsiders in their own classrooms.
Students keep their full religious freedom. Schools keep their neutrality.
That’s what protects everyone. #KPOPAct. Learn more: ffrfaction.org/keep-proselytizing-out-of-schools-kpop-act/
INSTAGRAM
Post 1
Every child deserves a school where they feel safe and respected — no matter what they believe.
The #KPOPAct protects student freedom of conscience and keeps schools welcoming to all. Learn more: ffrfaction.org/keep-proselytizing-out-of-schools-kpop-act/
Post 2
Students can pray individually.
They can wear religious symbols.
They can form religious clubs.
The #KPOPAct just stops school-sponsored religion.
Freedom of conscience belongs to every kid.
Post 3
Neutral public schools = strong families + protected freedoms.
The #KPOPAct puts long-standing Supreme Court precedent into state law so every student is treated fairly, regardless of their religious or nonreligious convictions.
