Parochial Schools Can Receive
Federal Funds for Books, High Court Rules
The U. S. Supreme Court ruled in Mitchell v. Helms June 28 that private schools in low-income areas can receive a share of federal funds for library books, computers, and other equipment under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 that established block grants to help buy instructional materials for schools.
At issue was a program in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, where a federal lawsuit argued that taxpayers should not be required to contribute to religious education. The Justice Department defended the law, saying the assistance did not directly support a parochial school’s religious indoctrination or mission.
Supporters of private-school tuition vouchers praised the 6–3 ruling, but Barry Lynn, head of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, denounced it, the Associated Press reported June 28. The decision was seen as a victory for President Clinton, who has proposed expanding the law to help connect every American classroom to the Internet.
Posted July 3, 2000.
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