Law & Courts News in Brief

Judge Upholds Law on Vouchers in Ind.

By Sean Cavanagh — January 24, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

An Indiana judge has upheld the state’s ambitious new voucher law, saying it meets the standards of the state’s constitution, despite objections about it directing money to religious schools.

Superior Court Judge Michael Keele found that whether students choose to use public money to attend sectarian institutions is ultimately “immaterial,” because families are exercising their choice to do so.

Court decisions over state voucher programs typically turn on the language of individual state constitutions, and the extent to which they restrict the flow of public funds to religious and other nonpublic institutions, such as schools.

The Indiana case has drawn broad interest both from supporters and opponents of private school choice, in large part because of the large-scale nature of Indiana’s program.

While many voucher programs limit eligibility to students of low-incomes, or those with special needs, Indiana’s measure sets relatively loose restrictions on eligibility. The measure was one of several voucher programs created or expanded in states last year. Backers of vouchers say they expect a lot of activity on that front in statehouses in 2012.

A lawsuit challenging Indiana’s program was filed last year by a group of parents, teachers’ union members, and other residents. They argued that it violated various pieces of Indiana’s constitution, in part because it allows students to attend religious schools on the public dime.

But in his Jan. 13 ruling, Judge Keele said that has no bearing on the program’s constitutionality.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the January 25, 2012 edition of Education Week as Judge Upholds Law on Vouchers in Ind.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Recruitment & Retention Webinar
Substitute Teacher Staffing Simplified: 5 Strategies for Success
Struggling to find quality substitute teachers? Join our webinar to learn key strategies to keep your classrooms covered and students learning.
Content provided by Kelly Education
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI in Education: Empowering Educators to Tap into the Promise and Steer Clear of Peril
Explore the transformative potential of AI in education and learn how to harness its power to improve student outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
English Learners Webinar Family and Community Engagement: Best Practices for English Learners
Strengthening the bond between schools and families is key to the success of English learners. Learn how to enhance family engagement and support student achievement.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Law & Courts Court Battles and Presidential Election Have Big Implications for Title IX Regulation
A federal appeals court heard arguments about whether some provisions of the Title IX regulation should be allowed to go into wider effect.
4 min read
Image of a gavel
iStock/Getty
Law & Courts Top Affirmative Action Foe Has New Target: Scholarships for Aspiring Minority Teachers
The legal activist behind the U.S. Supreme Court college admissions decision has now sued over an Illinois minority scholarship program.
3 min read
A picture of a gavel on a target.
Bill Oxford/Getty
Law & Courts This State Requires Schools to Teach the Bible. Parents and Teachers Are Suing
Opponents of an Oklahoma directive that compels schools to teach the Bible are suing the state’s superintendent of public instruction.
4 min read
Image of a young boy pulling the bible off of a bookshelf.
D-Keine/E+
Law & Courts States Sue TikTok Over 'Addictive' Design Features. What That Means for Schools
The lawsuits are the newest fight targeting social media platforms' algorithms.
3 min read
The United States government laws on certain social media applications such as TikTok
iStock/Getty