News

School Choice 2.0

Supreme Court weighs Arizona tax credits.

Eight years after declaring school vouchers to be constitutional, the U.S. Supreme Court is assessing version 2.0 of school choice efforts: tax credits.

The Court heard oral arguments November 3 over the constitutionality of Arizona’s dollar-for-dollar tax credits for those who give money to scholarship organizations, most of which benefit religious schools. Some Arizona taxpayers argue that this setup violates the First Amendment.

“People have moved to tax credits versus vouchers because it’s easier as a political matter to convince legislatures,” said Eric Rassbach, national litigation director at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. “It has definitely been a trend in school choice movements.”

Supporters believe the Court will uphold the credits because the government doesn’t decide where the money goes. Opponents argue the credits disproportionately help religious schools.

If the Court allows the credits, it will solidify similar incentives in 13 other states, said Rassbach. If it strikes them down, the ruling will have a “devastating” effect on charitable deductions, tax exemptions for religious organizations, and any other tax treatment that “disproportionately” benefits religious organizations, he said.

It would also be devastating for the 28,000 students who split $55 million in scholarships last year, said Robert Enlow, president and CEO of the Foundation for Educational Choice, a leading vouchers advocate.

The tax credits have had “far [greater] impact for religious schools than you’d think,” Enlow said. “Eighty percent of private schooling in America is currently religious, so the primary beneficiaries of children armed with choice will be religious private schools.”

But the growth has been less effective than Jeff Blamer, director of membership for Christian Schools International (CSI), would have hoped because of the lobbyist pressure of teachers’ unions.

“I could not tell you any CSI school that is benefiting from a voucher [or tax credit] program,” said Blamer, whose organization serves 500 Reformed schools.

Examining how tax credits have benefited Christian schools is not the right way to look at the situation, he said. “That’s where the rub comes, because then you get into the game of constitutionality,” he said. “Support for religious institutions with government dollars cannot be done.”

Copyright © 2010 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

Previous articles on school choice include:

Breaking Up a Monopoly | The Supreme Court has put parents back in charge of their children’s education.

Florida School Voucher Plan Struck Down by State Judge | Church-state issues not addressed in ruling. (March 1, 2000)

Voucher Victory | School-choice advocates win in Wisconsin, but can the movement gain momentum? (September 7, 1998)

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Our Latest

Inside the Ministry

The Next Gen Initiative

Casting a captivating vision of following Jesus for the next generation.

The Just Life with Benjamin Watson

Bruce Deel: Mercy With A Spine

Creating real pathways to stability so families can flourish through housing, work, and dignity.

News

Where Refugees Were Seen as an Opportunity from God

In Sweden, a church continues to advocate evangelism of Muslims, despite criticism from all sides.

Revival of the Nerds

On Twitch streams and in Discord chats, “nerd culture” ministers reach out to a demographic long misunderstood by the church.

Christian Gamers Find Their People

Video-game developers, speculative fiction authors, and table-top enthusiasts got together to play at an expo for “Christian storytellers in popular culture.”

Public Theology Project

Good Things on the Way

Russell Moore highlights CT’s critical mission in this polarized moment.

Melanie Penn Sings the Resurrection Story

The Broadway actress turned singer-songwriter talks about her new album and the value of sacred music outside of Sunday mornings.

News

Church Discipline Is Still the Exception

But it’s making a comeback in some circles, including among Reformed congregations that emphasize church membership.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube