by Kio Herrera
This article was originally published at Prism
On June 21, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned a Maine law that excluded religious schools from the state’s tuition assistance program, saying that the program violated the free exercise of religion in the state.
Writing for a 6-3 majority in favor of the plaintiffs, Chief Justice John Roberts said the program allowed parents to direct the funds of the program to the school of their choice and was, therefore, subject to “the free exercise principles governing any public benefit program—including the prohibition on denying the benefit based on a recipient’s religious exercise.”
The ruling will immediately impact three New England states—Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire—but by offering state governments an opening to expand the use of school vouchers, the decision has sparked renewed debate about private school voucher programs, school choice, and the long history of inequity rooted in these policies.