Cara Candal, Ed.D., is the Vice President of Policy for ExcelinEd.
In 2018 the State of Montana struck down a tax-credit funded scholarship program that allowed low-income students to access private schools. The Montana Supreme Court reasoned that because students could take scholarships to faith-based schools, the entire program violated Montana’s Blaine Amendment, a constitutional provision from the 1870s that prevents religious institutions from receiving public benefits, such as government funding. The case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, is now before the Supreme Court of the United States.
As the country waits for a decision, check out these past #AskExcelinEd blog posts explaining Blaine Amendments and examining their impact on school choice programs across the country.
ExcelinEd’s Dr. Cara Candal gives a brief history on Blaine Amendments and their legacy on the evolution of school choice throughout the United States.
Next in the series, Dr. Candal explains how Blaine Amendments are not equal. While they all attempt to prevent government money from flowing to faith-based institutions, some states go a step further and prohibit indirect aid—aid that flows first to a parent, for example, who then chooses to take that money to a program sponsored by a faith-based institution.
Finally, ExcelinEd’s Tim Abram explains how a decision in the Espinoza case could change the school choice landscape across the country. With over 500,000 families benefiting from these policies, the importance of this case cannot be overstated.
Learn more about Blaine Amendments and school choice programs, like Education Scholarship Accounts, on the Opportunity Learning Hub.
