Should prayer be permitted in public schools?

I believe that mandatory (or voluntary) prayer should not be permitted in public schools.  There is a time and place for everything in life, and this applies for prayer in school as well.  People have the right to choose what to believe, and if a certain religion is what you choose to believe in, then believe in it outside of school.  When students are forced to participate in religious activities in the classroom that they do not believe in, they are no longer in a helpful and healthy classroom environment.