The nation’s highest court did not agree with this line of thinking nearly three decades ago when it struck down a law in New York that allowed state funded vouchers to poor parents, mainly because of their use in religious schools. However, the Supreme Court veers more firmly to the right with every decision it makes in the 1990s, and is certainly more conservative than it was in the early 1970s. The issue is expected to reach the Supreme Court and be upheld as it was in Wisconsin. The growing conservatism of the Court is one reason given for this expectation, as well as many decisions since 1993 which lead onlookers to believe the Supreme Court will uphold federally funded private school vouchers. For example, the Court ruled favorably that it was legal for federal funds to be used to pay for a sign-language tutor for a

Savage, D. G. “Supreme Court Decision On School Vouchers.” Los Angeles Times. Nov. 2, 1998, (A-1) 1-3.

“A Wisconsin Law Allowing Use Of Public Funds For Private Schooling Was Appealed To Highest Court.” Minneapolis Star Tribune. Nov. 2, 1998, (08A) 1-2.

In conclusion, while many of our urban public school districts are in deplorable condition, saving a handful of students instead of and at the cost of public school development is not a long-term viable option for improving education in America. The program does violate the 1st Amendment guaranteeing separation of religion and state because state monies are spent on parochial school education period. Why the Supreme Court finds itself shy to mandate that federally funded monies are spent on only public projects is difficult to fathom when it makes no qualms about the mandates and guidelines surrounding so many other government subsidies. Further in an era of a perniciously pervading religious-right backed Republican party, what is to stop legislators from ensuring the funds they allocate will be spent on furthering their religious-backed agenda. Nothing. When it comes to city development, we are facing a critical period in American education with respect to our impoverished school districts when it comes to providing them with the funds they need to be able to provide a quality environment, staff and education for students. Eroding presently inadequate funding in an attempt to resolve the crisis is lacking in common sense at best and ludicrous at worst. While there are some shreds of merit in federally funded private school vouchers, the situation they are aimed at correcting in the short-term is made worse in the long-run.

Peterson, P. E. “Do School Vouchers Work?” The World & I. Vol. 14. Feb. 1, 1999, (64) 1-5.