A judge says the state cannot reimburse private and parochial schools for any expenses, even if they’re the result of state mandates. The judge was responding to a legal challenge to the state budget.
A provision in the state budget allows private and parochial schools to be reimbursed for state-required health and safety requirements. The challenge says that runs afoul of the state constitution, which bans direct or indirect public funding for private or parochial schools.
The judge’s opinion says the ban is not religious discrimination. Don Wotruba with the Michigan Association of School Boards says that’s because the ban does not distinguish between different types of private schools.
“It is any non-public school, religious or otherwise,” he said.
This is a preliminary order while the rest of the case is argued. But the decision can be appealed.