Public Money For Church Schools Not Likely

The issue of school vouchers has again appeared through the introduction of a bill (H. 643) in the Vermont Legislature to use public funds to send Vermont students to parochial schools.

While some federal and state court decisions have allowed for exceptions to the “Establishment” clause of the First Amendment, H. 643 is inconsistent with the Vermont Constitution’s more protective language, as explained in the Vermont Supreme Court’s decision in Chittenden v. State. If passed, H. 643 would likely be declared unconstitutional.

There are many public schools available for students and their parents to choose from in the event that their town doesn't have its own high school. If parents are concerned about the lack of faith-based education, they retain the choice of sending their child to a parochial institution (be it Christian, Jewish, or Muslim) but not at public expense. Ultimately, the “choice” of whether a child attends a parochial school lies with the school’s admissions department. Many parochial schools take a student's religious affiliation into account when considering applications.

James Madison, chief drafter of the U.S. Constitution, wrote in 1811 that the “...practical distinction between Religion and Civil Government is essential to the purity of both.” The distinction is as essential today as it was 200 years ago.

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