Vouchers in the News

Two closely watched voucher programs had their initial days in court recently.

In Colorado, Douglas County school district officials were still sorting through the implications of a judge’s order putting a halt to their voucher pilot – including whether the district is on the hook for $300,000 already sent out in voucher payments. The Douglas County school voucher program was the first voucher program in the country initiated by a local school district.  Most other voucher programs across the country have been the result of state legislative action.  The district plans to appeal the ruling
In Indiana, a Marion County judge denied a preliminary injunction against the start of a new expansive state voucher program while a larger legal battle is hashed out in the courts. That means the program can remain in effect this school year.

Various educators, parents, and school administrators filed the suit in July claiming the Choice Scholarship Program violates the Indiana Constitution. The plaintiffs argue taxpayers are being forced to support religious education through the publically funded vouchers students can use to attend private schools.
Most of the 240-plus schools the Indiana Department of Education has approved to participate in the program are religious.  The judge  compared the new program to a state scholarship fund for college, where students can attend either private or public institutions. It is not considered a direct tax to support specific churches.