Should Cities and States Adopt School Voucher Programs?

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Ironically, the drive to adopt school vouchers and other measures that would divert millions of dollars from the public treasury come at a time when our public schools are more financially hard pressed than ever. Nine out of ten of our nation's children attend public schools, yet some politicians are asking the American people to accept inadequate funding for public schools while they enact new, expensive programs for private religious schools.

What's going on?

A powerful alliance of political and sectarian interests has set its sights on tax subsidies for religious schools. Religious Right activists and lobbyists for the Roman Catholic hierarchy are pressing their demands on both the state and national level.

Religious Right leaders have made their position clear. For example, wealthy TV preacher Pat Robertson regularly attacks America's public education system, calls for tax aid for private religious schools and insists that "the Constitution says nothing about the separation of church and state!"

Observed Robertson, "They say vouchers would spell the end of public schools in America. To which we say, so what?" The Christian Coalition, a political group founded by Robertson, aggressively lobbies on behalf of tax aid to religion.

The Religious Right has influential allies on this issue. The Roman Catholic bishops have sought government support for their parochial schools for many years. Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua of Philadelphia once told a Falwell-sponsored magazine, "If we can get [a religious school voucher plan] through in one state then that's the foot in the door. That's what I want. I want to see it passed in one state and let it go through the courts to remove that notion of separation of church and state."

Many short-sighted politicians have responded favorably to this religious school aid crusade. The movement has powerful friends in Congress and many state legislatures. Even the U.S. Supreme Court, once a faithful defender of the "wall of separation between church and state," has let down its guard in several instances.

It's time for Americans who believe in strong public schools and church-state separation to speak out.