In a 5-0 vote, the Indiana State
Supreme Court voted in favor of upholding the state’s school voucher program
yesterday.
The Supreme Court decision ended
a two-year legal review of the Choice Scholarship Program. When the program became law in July 2011, the
Indiana State Teachers’ Association along with the National Education
Association filed suit, challenging the constitutionality of the program. (Follow the program’s legal journey here: November
2012, December 2011, August
2011, and the
program's passage and original legal challenge in July 2011.)
The monumental decision allows
thousands of Indiana students to continue to receive the education of their
parent’s choice, ensuring all students are given same opportunities, no matter
their parent’s income or their zip code.
Currently, more than 9,300 low-
and middle-income students receive scholarships to attend one of 289
participating schools through the Choice Scholarship Program. To be eligible for the program, students
qualifying for the federal free-and-reduced lunch program ($42,643 for a family
of four) can receive a scholarship worth up to 90 percent of the state tuition
amount. Children from families who earn up to 150 percent of the free-and-reduced
lunch eligibility ($63,964 for a family of four) are eligible for a scholarship
for up to 50 percent of the tuition amount.
- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, KMS