ment ▁Cla use ▁forb ade ▁co er ced ▁pray ers ▁in ▁public ▁schools , ▁not ▁just ▁those ▁representing ▁a ▁specific ▁religious ▁tradition . ▁He ▁addressed ▁the ▁State ' s ▁cont ention ▁that ▁attend ance ▁was ▁volunt ary ▁at ▁the ▁gradu ation ▁exer cis es : ▁ ▁To ▁say ▁a ▁te en age ▁student ▁has ▁a ▁real ▁choice ▁not ▁to ▁attend ▁her ▁high ▁school ▁gradu ation ▁is ▁formal istic ▁in ▁the ▁extreme . ▁True , ▁Deb or ah ▁could ▁elect ▁not ▁to ▁attend ▁comm enc ement ▁without ▁ren oun cing ▁her ▁di pl oma ; ▁but ▁we ▁shall ▁not ▁allow ▁the ▁case ▁to ▁turn ▁on ▁this ▁point . ▁Every one ▁knows ▁that , ▁in ▁our ▁society ▁and ▁in ▁our ▁culture , ▁high ▁school ▁gradu ation ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁life ' s ▁most ▁significant ▁occasions . ▁A ▁school ▁rule ▁which ▁exc uses ▁attend ance ▁is ▁beside ▁the ▁point . ▁Att endance ▁may ▁not ▁be ▁required ▁by ▁official ▁dec ree , ▁yet ▁it ▁is ▁apparent ▁that ▁a ▁student ▁is ▁not ▁free ▁to ▁absent ▁herself ▁from ▁the ▁gradu ation ▁exercise ▁in ▁any ▁real ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁" vol unt ary ," ▁for ▁absence ▁would ▁require ▁for fe iture ▁of ▁those ▁int ang ible ▁benefits ▁which ▁have ▁motiv ated ▁the ▁student ▁through ▁youth ▁and ▁all ▁her ▁high ▁school ▁years . ▁ ▁Finally , ▁Kennedy ▁form ulated ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁co erc ion ▁test ▁in ▁answering ▁the ▁argument ▁that ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁prayer ▁was ▁volunt ary : ▁ ▁The ▁school ▁district ' s ▁super vision