Facebook Twitter Email
DECEMBER 12, 2000

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday ruled a school voucher program in Cleveland, Ohio, unconstitutional because it violates separatation of church from state.

The state's voucher program provides a maximum of $2,500 per child. Parents who choose to enroll their children in a private school approved for the voucher program receive checks for tuition, then sign them over to the school.

But the court says an overwhelming majority of students, 96 percent, were enrolled in religious schools, effectively using state funding for religious purposes, a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Different circuits, however, have resolved the issue differently. So this might be a reason for the Supreme Court to step in and resolve the issue.

Governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico is once again pushing a plan for school vouchers in the state. Past proposals have failed.

Get the Decision:
SIMMONS-HARRIS v. ZELMAN, No 00-3055, 3060, 3063 (6th Cir. December 11, 2000)

Get the Story:
Appeals Court Rejects Vouchers In Cleveland as Unconstitutional (The Washington Post 12/12)
No Letup in Johnson Voucher Push (The Albquerque Journal 12/12)