Parents of children enrolled in Maine religious schools fought all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court for the state to treat tuition reimbursements the same as other private schools
Former Bangor Christian Schools sophomore Olivia Carson, then 15, of Glenburn, Maine, left, stands with her mother Amy while getting dropped off on the first day of school on August 28, 2018 in Bangor, Maine. Parents of students enrolled in religious schools fought for years — all the way to the Supreme Court — for tuition to be reimbursed by the state, the same as other private schools. But only one religious school has signed up to participate so far.
The Supreme Court ruled in June that Maine can’t exclude religious schools from a program that offers tuition for private education in rural towns where there are no public schools. So far, only one religious school has signed up to participate, and that application will go through a review process, said Marcus Mrowka, a state education spokesperson. Mrowka declined to identify the school.Michael Bindas is a senior attorney at the Virginia-based Institute for Justice, a nonprofit libertarian law firm that represented the families who sued.
The Association of Christian Schools International, a Colorado-based organization that promotes Christian education, said the fact that 32 other states already have a school choice program speaks volumes. Both Christian schools associated with the lawsuit — Temple Academy in Waterville and Bangor Christian Schools — have policies that discriminate against students and staff on a basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, he said.
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