In response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection of the nation’s first religious public charter school in Oklahoma, First Focus on Children President Bruce Lesley issued the following remarks:
We are pleased that the Supreme Court has affirmed the importance of traditional public schools as the bedrock of our democracy. Earlier this year, First Focus on Children joined an amicus brief regarding this case filed by 14 organizations emphasizing our commitment to equitable, secular, well-funded public schools. Allowing a religious charter school could create a completely new reality for the nation’s public education system, one in which secular schools are competing with religious schools for funding and where the only option for some students is a religious charter school. This measure would have inherently harmed traditional public schools and the students who rely on them, and would have disproportionately affected students with disabilities.
At a time when public education is under attack, it is vital that we preserve the right of students to high-quality traditional public education. Just yesterday, the House passed a budget that includes a provision to create a federal private school voucher system. Federal vouchers would harm public schools across the country and make it more difficult for all students, particularly students with disabilities, to receive a high-quality public education.
We are pleased that the Court has rejected the notion of religious charter schools and protected students’ right to a public secular education. Now, it is important to continue fighting for public school funds to remain in public schools.”