Nashville High School Gives Muslim Students Prayer Time

For Muslim students at John Overton High School in South Nashville, practicing their faith no longer means hiding who they are.

The school now provides Muslim students with 15-minute prayer breaks during Ramadan, with more than 80 students taking advantage of the accommodation. Students receive electronic hall passes to leave class and gather in a reserved space on campus, where they lay down paper towels as makeshift prayer mats.

Ten teachers volunteered to make their classrooms food-free zones during lunch hours for students observing the Ramadan fast from dawn to dusk. Al-Nadir Muhammad, a member of the school's support staff, oversees the prayer periods and ensures students follow the guidelines.

The program runs daily during Ramadan and once monthly the rest of the year. Students set up a divider between girls and boys before one student leads prayer and recites verses from the Quran.

Muslim teacher Revas Barwari told the Nashville Banner the change feels revolutionary. She remembers hiding her fasting when she attended Nashville public schools as a student.

"What school do you know that actually changes their whole bell schedule to work around students being able to go pray?" Barwari said. "I don't think the kids really even understand how important that is."

The Ripple Effect

The accommodation came after students and staff approached administrators several years ago about creating dedicated time and space for prayer. The school worked to refine the system over time, listening to feedback and making adjustments.

The American Muslim Advisory Council sent a letter to Metro Nashville Public Schools asking educators to support Muslim students during Ramadan with reasonable accommodations. The U.S. Department of Education permits constitutionally protected student prayer and religious expression in public schools, including private prayer during the school day.

The guidance states schools should allow community members to "act and speak according to their faith" as long as others' rights are respected and schools don't favor one religion over another.

For students who once felt invisible, this simple accommodation sends a powerful message: you belong here exactly as you are.