Yorkville students will begin each day will 15 or 20 seconds of silence just before the Pledge of Allegiance in light of a recent court ruling, Superintendent Scott Wakeley said.

The state-mandated moment of silence, intended to allow students and teachers a time for quiet reflection - or, if they choose, to pray - is back after a two-year hiatus because a federal judge lifted an injunction barring enforcement of the law.

"A lot of our younger kids don't even remember it, so it's new to them," Wakeley said.

Four years ago, Illinois legislators passed a law requiring schools to offer the moment of silence each morning. The law took effect in October 2007 after both the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives voted to override a veto by then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Rob Sherman, a parent, talk show host and atheist activist, challenged the law on the grounds that it mandates prayer in public schools. In 2009, Federal Judge Robert Gettleman ruled that the law was unconstitutional.

But the 7^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed, ruling in October that the law does not specify or require prayer in schools. On Friday, Gettleman lifted the injunction, effectively bringing back the moment of silence.

Wakeley said he instructed staff to resume the moment of silence no later than Thursday, so he expected some students have already started it. He said school officials did not receive many comments from parents when the moment of silence was instituted originally, nor recently.

"It's literally 15 seconds out of the day," Wakeley said. "It's really not a disruption."