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Two landmark legal resolutions in Vermont have ended more than 20 years of discrimination against the state’s families who enrolled their children in religious schools.
Two lawsuits, filed by several families and the Burlington Parish, are suing state officials for excluding students attending religious schools from the state’s town tuition program.
In this program, students living in towns without public schools chose a public or approved secular private school, and the town paid tuition on their behalf. However, Vermont school districts have blocked eligible students from taking advantage of this benefit at private religious schools that do not have “appropriate safeguards” to protect funds from “religious education.”
As a result, these students and their families have until now had to choose between attending another school or paying their own fees.
The settlement follows the Carson v. Makin U.S. Supreme Court decision, which called into question a program in Maine similar to Vermont’s Town Tuition Program. The court ruled that a Maine law requiring tuition assistance to be used for “nondenominational schools” violated the Free Movement Clause of the First Amendment.
In Carson’s landmark ruling, Vermont families and state and local government officials agreed to a settlement that would reimburse plaintiffs and other families who had paid out-of-pocket for religious education. are also paid by Vermont and the school district.
In addition, Vermont’s Secretary of Education said, “A school district cannot refuse to pay tuition to a religiously-approved independent school or to a religiously independent school that meets its educational quality standards.” Confirming letters have been sent to all Superintendents.
The Secretary of Education added that “requests for payment of tuition fees for resident students” to religious schools “must be treated in the same manner as requests for payment of tuition fees” to secular schools.
As the Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Paul Schmitt said in a statement announcing the settlement, “Every parent should be able to send their child to the school that best suits them, and the First Amendment will allow parents to We protect the right to choose a religious school.”
Legal settlement is a win for religious freedom and school choice.
The majority of Americans consistently support school choice, and a 2022 poll by RealClear Opinion Research found that overall support for school choice policies increased from 64% in 2020 to 72%. is further proven. The survey found that 82% of Republicans support school choice policies, a 7% increase for him. Support among independents rose to 67% and Democrats to 68%, up 7 and 9 percentage points, respectively.
But most importantly, recent legal decisions have further paved the way for a brighter future for America’s children.
Numerous studies have shown that school choice programs increase graduation rates among participating students. For example, students in the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program, which provides private school scholarships to low-income students, improved her graduation rate by 21%. Schools participating in this program include institutions focused on teaching religious traditions.
Additionally, with devastating math and reading results announced in the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), American children need more access to quality education that fosters success. is.
All parts of the country and 30 states and jurisdictions experienced declines in fourth grade reading scores, with 66% of these students scoring at or below the NAEP base level.
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But Catholic school student scores are a reminder that these educational challenges are not insurmountable.
Overall, 4th grade Catholic students scored 16 points above the national average in reading, and 8th grade Catholic students scored 19 points above the national average.
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These trends underscore the importance of initiatives that give families the freedom to choose the type of education that best suits their children and ultimately give them the knowledge, skills and values they need to succeed. increase.
The recent legal settlement in Vermont is a victory for religious liberty advocates, school choice advocates and America’s children who deserve a chance to make their dreams come true.
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