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CLEVELAND, OHIO, June 27, 2002: In a landmark church-state case, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a controversial Cleveland program that allows parents to use taxpayer-funded vouchers to send their children to religious schools. If the parents do not want to send their child to public school, they are provided a “voucher” worth perhaps $2,500 which can be used to pay private school tuition instead. In the closely watched decision, the high court ruled 5-4 that the program does not violate the constitutional separation of church and state because parents have the option of choosing secular schools, as well as parochial schools. “The Ohio program is entirely neutral with respect to religion,” Chief Justice William Rehnquist wrote for the majority. “It provides benefits directly to a wide spectrum of individuals, defined only by financial need and residence in a particular school district. It permits such individuals to exercise genuine choice among options public and private, secular and religious. The program is therefore a program of true private choice.” In Cleveland, parents can choose a public magnet school or a community school, or use the voucher money for a private or parochial school. Currently, only Milwaukee and Cleveland offer parents vouchers, but Republican governors in several states have expressed interest in the idea. Rehnquist’s opinion does not say a voucher program must be targeted at low-income children or limited in scope. The ruling appears to clear the way for statewide voucher programs that offer tuition subsidies to all families with school-children. The ruling is a victory for religious groups, who support voucher programs for their sectarian school systems. This decision clears the way for other innovative school choice programs. It appears that Hindu parents could send their children to Hindu schools — if there were any. It may also make the creation of Hindu schools more possible.

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