Finance in Education
Chapter 10
Controversial Issue

The courts have usually disallowed direct state
financial support to private and parochial
schools.
Controversial Issue

Those who favor direct public aid to nonpublic
schools base their arguments on the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Parents should have freedom of choice in the education of their
children.
There is o evidence to support the fear that divisiveness in
education will be caused by the existence and operation of
nonpublic schools.
The failure of nonpublic schools would create a tremendous
impact on the financing of public education.
The free exercise clause of the First Amendment allows such
actions.
Controversial Issue

Opponents of direct aid to nonpublic schools
argue that:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Parochial aid represents a backward step, since this
country once maintained such a system of education but
has since altered the concept.
Private schools tend to discriminate against students in
terms of race and religious background.
Such a practice violates the establishment clause of the
First Amendment.
Solution of the problem should be based on principle, not
on economic considerations.
The Law and Church-State Relations


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Legal Provisions for separation:
The U.S. Constitution Article IV, Section 3, and
especially the First Amendment that was include in
1971 placed in U.S. law the principles of freedom of
religion and separation of church and state.
Article VI provides that “no religious test should ever
be required as a qualification to any office our public
trust under the US
The First Amendment declares Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
The Law and Church-State Relations

The principle of separation has generally been
observed, but interpretation of it has
sometimes changed, The courts have
sometimes supported a child-benefit theory
and some forms of tax credit payments for
elementary and secondary school students, if
such action passed the Lemon test.
Educational Choice


The negative claims against the public schools have
included their aleged discrimination against the gifted
and the disabled, their presumed failure to teach
students fundamental skills, and their reputation for
fostering inequality among the races and between the
sexes.
These and numerous other charges have resulted in
various proposals for radical changes in the
organization and administration of schools.
Educational Choice



Public schools offer some choices for students, including open
enrollment, magnet schools, cooperation with home schools,
postsecondary concurrent programs, schools within a school,
alternative schools in and out of the district, high school
graduation incentives, charter schools, and area learning centers.
Parents are looking for more freedom in selection outside the
public schools
The areas of choice that are most prevalent in the country center
on vouchers, tax credits, and charter schools.
Educational Vouchers

It is claimed that such an arrangement would
allow parents a choice among the educational
programs available to their children by paying
the amount required above the cost allowed by
the voucher. The schools could be of any type
– private, parochial, or public – provided they
met the established state standards.
Tax Credits

Tax credits would indirectly divert some public
funds to the support of nonpublic schools
Charter Schools

Charter schools are publicly financed but
largely independent schools. They generally
are created around a specific teaching
philosophy, subject areas, or other special
emphasis and attract students throughout a
district who want an alternative to the regular
public schools.
Controversy Not Solved

The church-state controversy has had and will
continue to have an important effect on state
school finance systems. Nonpublic schools,
like public schools, are being adversely
affected by continually rising costs, which
sometimes force nonpublic schools to
discontinue their services. This places a
greater financial burden on the public shcools.