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After immigrating here from Russia at age 10, Anna Shulyanskaya was 鈥渟hocked鈥� the first time she heard the Pledge of Allegiance.

鈥淲hen I heard 鈥榰nder God,鈥� that made me so happy,鈥� recalled the 17-year-old high school junior, explaining that the government in her native land had long frowned on her parents鈥� Baptist views. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ow, this is a really free country.鈥� 鈥�

Classmate Tim Nguyen, who came here from Vietnam at age 3, remembers reacting differently to the pledge as a child. He recited it with his class, he said, but the reference to God struck him as foreign to his Buddhist beliefs.

鈥淚t felt like it was something that was forced on me,鈥� the 17-year-old said.

Pledging allegiance to the flag鈥攁nd the 鈥渙ne nation under God鈥� it is said to represent鈥攈as been second nature to generations of American schoolchildren. Yet few have had as much reason to reflect on the practice as those in this fast-growing suburb of Sacramento.

When a cause c茅l猫bre crops up in your back yard鈥攐r your schoolyard, for that matter鈥攊t can be hard to ignore.

Since March 2000, California鈥檚 Elk Grove school district has faced a legal challenge to the pledge鈥檚 constitutionality from Michael A. Newdow, an atheist and physician whose daughter attends one of the system鈥檚 34 elementary schools. Now, as the district prepares to make its case before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 24, the highly publicized dispute in Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow (Case No. 02-1624) is not only prompting young people here to think, but also to deeply disagree.

鈥淧eople do have very strong views each way,鈥� said Priscilla S. Cox, the president of the Elk Grove school board. 鈥淭he majority is very supportive of what our board is doing, but that doesn鈥檛 mean other views aren鈥檛 out there.鈥�

From the start, Elk Grove school leaders have stood solidly behind their policy of requiring elementary schools to offer daily, teacher-led recitations of the pledge. And they believe the public stands firmly behind them.

鈥淚 think our district is 99.9 percent in support of our board,鈥� said Brian D. Myers, a longtime criminal prosecutor and board member.

Backed by the Bush administration, Congress, and all 50 states, the district rejects the position taken by a federal appeals court that public school recitations of the pledge violate the U.S. Constitution鈥檚 prohibition of government-established religion. Instead, Elk Grove contends that the pledge is a patriotic exercise that pays homage to the historical principle that citizens鈥� rights derive from a higher authority.

Not everyone in town thinks the district has taken the right tack. Among them is a veteran Elk Grove High School history teacher, David R. Hill, who says he regards the district鈥檚 court fight as 鈥渁 tremendous waste of energy.鈥�

鈥淚 don鈥檛 see anything that鈥檚 educational about the Pledge of Allegiance as it鈥檚 performed in elementary schools,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not mature enough to understand any of the concepts in the pledge, so to me it鈥檚 indoctrination, not education.鈥�

Still, he said, 鈥淚 suspect that I鈥檓 in the minority on that.鈥�

As firmly as they may disagree with that minority, district officials have provided opportunities for students to explore and express views contrary to their own. In the hope of using the pledge controversy as a teaching tool, for example, this winter the district sponsored a student essay contest on the question: 鈥淒oes the practice of teacher-led recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance, which includes the words 鈥榰nder God,鈥� violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution?鈥�

Open to 9th, 10th, and 11th graders, the contest was designed to produce two winners, one on each side of the question.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 believe in indoctrination, we believe in exploration,鈥� Mr. Myers said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what education is all about.鈥�

Seeking Unity

If there鈥檚 one feature that defines the 320 square miles that make up the Elk Grove Unified School District, it鈥檚 growth. Farmland is being replaced by subdivisions and strip malls at a dizzying pace. Enrollment in the district, whose borders encompass part of the state capital of Sacramento, has soared from 18,200 in 1987 to more than 55,000 today.

Schools are overcrowded despite a year-round schedule. Yet newcomers are still flocking to the demographically diverse district, and enrollment is expected to swell to 80,000 by 2010.

Such growth has presented the district with major challenges, not only in keeping pace with pressing facilities needs, but also in preserving the sense of community that drew people to Elk Grove in the first place, Ms. Cox said.

That is one reason, she added, that the district is so staunchly defending the pledge.

鈥淵ou have to have some type of unification to make it work鈥擨 really strongly feel that,鈥� the board president said recently, adding that the district educates students with more than 80 different native languages. 鈥淥ne of the important aspects of education is to teach from a historical perspective where our country came from and where it is.鈥�

Elk Grove Superintendent David W. Gordon also stresses the educational value of the pledge, as well as the debate over it. And he鈥檚 been doing so ever since Dr. Newdow won a surprise victory against the district in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in 2002, which prompted a national political outcry.

鈥淲herever we land, everyone will live with the decision and move on, and that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 a great country,鈥� Mr. Gordon said during an interview at the district鈥檚 Valley High School, a sprawling campus of one- story, beige-and-blue buildings. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to help students realize you can鈥檛 take that for granted.鈥�

That鈥檚 where the essay contest comes in. 鈥淭he lesson in this is to respect both sides of the question and respect the arguments on both sides, and that鈥檚 one of the reasons we wanted the children to be a duo,鈥� Mr. Gordon said.

Even Dr. Newdow, who is strongly critical of district leaders for what he describes as 鈥渇ighting to keep God in the pledge,鈥� gives the superintendent credit for coming up with the idea for the essay contest. 鈥淗e turned it into something positive,鈥� Dr. Newdow said.

Just last month, Valley High School junior Ai Nhi Hoang and Elk Grove High School sophomore Amanda Everett learned their essays were tops in a field of more than 350 when Ms. Cox and Mr. Gordon burst into their respective classrooms, trailed by news cameras and bearing large floral bouquets. As a prize, the district is flying both girls to Washington this month to attend the Supreme Court arguments.

Ms. Hoang, a Roman Catholic who came to the United States from Vietnam nine years ago, says her first memories of the pledge revolve around patriotism, not religion.

鈥淚 remember everybody putting their hand on their heart and facing the flag,鈥� the soft-spoken 17- year-old said. 鈥淚t kind of left an impression that said America to me, because that was the first thing I really learned.鈥�

In her 500-word essay, Ms. Hoang called the pledge 鈥渁n oath of loyalty鈥� and 鈥渘ot a form of prayer.鈥� She noted that it had been 鈥済randly and loudly鈥� recited following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

鈥淲hy take away a source of unity in a time of national pain?鈥� she asked in the essay.

By contrast, Ms. Everett argued in her essay that the current pledge stems from 鈥渁n insecure time in our nation鈥檚 history.鈥� Seeking to distinguish the United States from the communist Soviet Union during the Cold War, Congress and President Dwight D. Eisenhower enacted legislation in 1954 adding the words 鈥渦nder God.鈥�

鈥淭oday, in 2004, communism is no longer a looming threat,鈥� Ms. Everett wrote. 鈥淚t is unnecessary to invoke 鈥楪od鈥� to calm the fears of the nation.鈥�

Initially, Ms. Everett said, she wasn鈥檛 sure which side of the argument to take. 鈥淚t changed after I looked up stuff,鈥� she said.

Risa Abrusia, Ms. Everett鈥檚 mother, said her daughter reached out to 鈥渧arious churches, Buddhist centers, a temple, and Muslims鈥� before concluding that the phrase 鈥渦nder God鈥� should not be in the pledge.

鈥淎 Buddhist talked to her and said he鈥檇 prefer that it be taken out,鈥� Ms. Abrusia said. 鈥淭hat was really influential to her.鈥�

Chris Hardwicke, a social science teacher at Valley High School who coordinated the contest, said Ms. Everett was not the only student to change her views after conducting research.

鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting to see that thought process going on,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I love about this.鈥�

Voluntary or Not?

Mr. Hardwicke recently used the pledge controversy to provide students with practice in structured classroom discussion in his study-skills course aimed at academically average students preparing for college. Ms. Shulyanskaya and Mr. Nguyen were among those who took part.

One topic was whether young pupils feel pressure to recite the pledge, despite their legal entitlement to opt out. In 1943, before the words 鈥渦nder God鈥� were added to the pledge, the Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette that students could not be forced to say the pledge. The landmark case was brought by a member of the Jehovah鈥檚 Witnesses who regarded saluting the flag as a form of idolatry.

Adrianna King, one of Mr. Hardwicke鈥檚 students, remembers asking an elementary school classmate why she was refraining from saying the pledge, and being told 鈥� 鈥業鈥檓 a Jehovah鈥檚 Witness.鈥� 鈥�

鈥淚 respected that and left that alone,鈥� she said. Because children can opt out, she argued, parents who object to the words 鈥渦nder God鈥� already have recourse.

But Ian Reeder said many youngsters would feel 鈥渟ecluded鈥� if they refrained from the pledge. 鈥淣ot every elementary school student is going to stand up to their friends and say, 鈥業鈥檓 not your religion,鈥欌�� said Mr. Reeder, who described himself as nonreligious. That鈥檚 one reason, he said, that he considers the pledge鈥檚 current wording unconstitutional.

At the end of the class, Mr. Hardwicke asked for a show of hands.

鈥淲ho thinks the pledge should be left alone?鈥� he asked. Twelve hands rose.

鈥淗ow many think the words 鈥榰nder God鈥� should be taken out of the pledge?鈥� Ten hands went up.

Across town at Elk Grove鈥檚 Morse Elementary School, Principal Michael Gulden talked in his office on a recent afternoon with four 3rd graders who had just carried out the daily honors of reciting the pledge over the public- address system.

Asked what the oath meant to her, one child replied: 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like a prayer. It says God. That鈥檚 what makes me think it was a prayer.鈥�

A little boy quickly agreed. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 like a prayer because it says 鈥榦ne nation under God,鈥� 鈥� he said.

The two other children said they, too, viewed it as a prayer. Asked by their principal what they are doing when they say the pledge, one girl piped up, 鈥淏lessing yourself.鈥�

Later, the children鈥檚 teacher, Mary Condas, said she was mildly surprised that the children had likened the pledge to a prayer, but suggested that 鈥渋t could have been because of all the publicity鈥� surrounding the court case.

Shielding the Child

That publicity has been of particular concern to Sandra Banning, the mother of Dr. Newdow鈥檚 daughter, who attends 4th grade in another Elk Grove elementary school and who has not been identified in court papers.

Ms. Banning, a church-going Christian who supports the pledge as is, said the district has been helpful in shielding the girl from media attention. Officials have steered reporters to other schools, for example, and helped the child dodge TV cameras.

鈥淭his little girl has one shot at childhood, and I don鈥檛 want her in a position of being even temporarily singled out as a celebrity child,鈥� Ms. Banning said during an interview at a local restaurant. 鈥淪he needs to be able to run on the playground without worrying.鈥�

How much the girl should be involved in the pledge case has been a sore point between Ms. Banning and Dr. Newdow, who never married and have been embroiled in a custody dispute for the past five years.

In a federal trial court, Dr. Newdow had sued on behalf of the girl as well as himself. But when Ms. Banning objected, a family court judge blocked him from continuing to include the child as a plaintiff. The 9th Circuit appeals court subsequently held that Dr. Newdow had legal standing on his own to bring the case鈥攁 point that the school district and the Bush administration dispute.

The parents also squared off in court over whether the girl should be on hand when Dr. Newdow鈥攚ho has a law degree as well as a medical degree and is representing himself鈥攁rgued his appeal in the 9th Circuit court. A family court judge permitted that, but now the two parents are skirmishing over whether the girl will be allowed to attend the Supreme Court oral arguments in Washington.

Ms. Banning worries, among other concerns, that the child could end up on television or in the newspapers if she goes. But Dr. Newdow sees that as a risk worth taking.

鈥淚f this were your father, wouldn鈥檛 you want to watch this, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e tried to keep her out of it, but if her picture happened to be in the paper, that鈥檚 not the end of the world.鈥�

Meanwhile, the child has continued to say the pledge with her classmates, Ms. Banning said, and even volunteered to lead it right after the 9th Circuit court鈥檚 2002 decision was handed down.

Despite the district鈥檚 efforts to protect the girl鈥檚 privacy, Ms. Banning said her schoolmates all know she is Dr. Newdow鈥檚 daughter, in part because he has been volunteering in her classrooms since 1999. The girl has a well-rehearsed response when other children bring up the case, her mother said.

鈥淜ids do ask her, 鈥榃hy is your dad doing this? Why does he want to take God out?鈥� 鈥� Ms. Banning said. 鈥淗er standard response is to shrug her shoulders and say, 鈥業 don鈥檛 know.鈥� 鈥�

Curiosity Piqued

For her part, Ms. Everett said that she, too, has gotten questions since her essay supporting Dr. Newdow鈥檚 position was declared a winner on Feb. 4.

鈥淎 lot of people have asked me, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e atheist, right?鈥欌�� she said. While she and her family do not attend religious services, Ms. Everett described herself as 鈥渟piritual.鈥�

鈥淲e had to have a real long talk because she felt attacked,鈥� her mother, Ms. Abrusia, said. 鈥淚 told her to put it right back at them and say, 鈥楢re you judging me? Isn鈥檛 that against your religion?鈥欌��

Ms. Everett relished the chance to air her views one recent afternoon with a group of students gathered after school in Mr. Hill鈥檚 portable classroom at Elk Grove High. Opinions in the group were divided, with junior Tiffany Wynn among those who said she strongly supported the pledge with its reference to God.

鈥淚f you take it out, it鈥檚 going to be very public ... and the children will know that the Supreme Court said there is no God,鈥� Ms. Wynn said. 鈥淭hat will make morality go down.鈥�

Tossing her hands in the air, Ms. Everett protested: 鈥淏y taking it out, it鈥檚 making it neutral.鈥�

Throughout the heated discussion, junior Eric Thomason sat quietly listening. At the end, he said he still had not decided how he wanted the Supreme Court case to wind up.

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 really developed a strong standpoint either way,鈥� Mr. Thomason said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l see how it turns out.鈥�