From the very beginning, schools were "invented" with religion as their primary focus. Yes, religion has been a major cause of war, however, man is warlike anyway, as we've seen in atheistic communism/socialism.
Religion gives stability and uniformity, even as mankind is often violent and insane. If they don't do it in the name of religion, they will do it in the name of something else.
My understanding of the constitution is that there is to be no "State Religion" imposed, and that's all.
While atheists say "Prove to me that God exists", I believe that we should be saying; "Prove to me that God does not exist."
I believe we should have something similar to what we had when I was growing up: A few minutes of silence before school starts.
This time can be filled with atheist kids contemplating/planning their upcoming day, or using relaxation techniques, others can silently pray, or do the same.
For me, I take my cues from ACIM, and it says this: "Prayer is a stepping aside; a letting go; a quiet time of
listening and loving. It should not be confused with supplication of any kind, because it is a way of remembering your holiness."
Allowing a class on religion will do little which is positive in the long run. They need consistency.
Otherwise we may end up with increasing numbers of young adults deforming their bodies with piercings and worse, flocking to movies like "Fifty Shades of Gray", killing their young in droves, mass killing others in "infamous crimes", "enjoying" S/M sickness, with skyrocketing numbers of kidnapped/tortured/raped/murdered children etc... Are we indeed "raising up a crop of demons"?
Unstable humans are in need of something stable and consistent. They need a moral compass. We need it every day.
What's my definition of God? Does it matter when we all seem to have our own definition? We can't understand God, but we can experience His presence. It is holy, peaceful, and it can be recognized. It affects our behavior.
I believe that each of us are given experiences in life which cannot be explained. Synchronicities, coincidences, "knowing" that a certain someone is causing the phone to ring, etc...
These are "hints" that there is more to life than meets the eye.
Atheism is simply denial, but it can be helpful in clearing the mind of wrongful applications of religion which may be holding one back.
A period of silence is harmless, and would be helpful to the upcoming day.