A U.S. Supreme Court decision today could play a part in the Michigan debate over private and public school funding. A divided court held that states offering subsidies to private schools cannot exclude religious schools.
There’s a federal court challenge to the Michigan amendment pending before a judge in Grand Rapids.
The Michigan Constitution has a ban on public funds for private schools. Attorney John Bursch says that ban discriminates against religious schools. That’s because a secular private school can become a charter school in Michigan and qualify for public funds. But a religious school cannot.
“If a state makes funding available to everyone and then excludes religious schools, that’s unconstitutional,” said attorney Dan Korobkin with the ACLU of Michigan, who believes the ban doesn’t discriminate. “Here in Michigan, taxpayer dollars cannot be used for any private schools regardless of whether the school is religious or secular.”