Public Announcements

If a public school allows students to use the school P.A. System to announce non-curricular events, then it must allow students the right to use the PA for religious events as well. Similar rules apply to public bulletin boards. However, if a student would like to make an announcement about a religious event, he or she must still work within the guidelines the school system has in place for public announcements.

For instance, if public announcements are limited to non-curricular groups housing events at the school, then a student would not be permitted to announce a non-curricular event (such as an FCA meeting) that takes place at his church.

On the other hand, if the school system allows the chess club (as a student-lead, non-curricular group) to announce tournaments or gatherings of some kind taking place at the school, then they must also allow religious student-lead, non-curricular groups to do the same.

Other limitations a school system may place on their guidelines for public announcements may be as following:

- Only student-lead non-curricular groups are able to make announcements.

- Only non-curricular groups recognized by the school system may make announcements. (“Recognition” may mean that they are organizations that meet at the school.)

If you are unaware of the schools system’s policies for public announcements, then ask your school’s secretary for them in writing and then act accordingly, but do not allow your expression to be censored based on its religious nature.

The content on this page has been reviewed by The Rutherford Institute.