1963 and after In these two landmark decisions, Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), which focused primarily on school-sponsored Bible reading, the Supreme Court established what is now the current prohibition on state-sponsored prayer in US schools.

The U.S. Department of Education guidelines reiterate that public schools "may not provide religious instruction, but they may teach about religion, including the Bible or other scripture."⁸ In keeping with the First Amendment's mandate of governmental neutrality toward religion, any study of religion in a public ...

As of 2024, 30,000 students are enrolled in the program. LifeWise Academy programs receive funding from local churches, private donors bringing in $6.5 million in fiscal year 2023.

According to scholars, the role of the Bible and religion in American public schools has evolved through four basic periods: In the Puritan era, the Bible and religion -- informed by Calvinism -- were the mainstay of school instruction.