Supreme Court Ruling in Espinoza v. Montana is a Win for Students, Families
Statement from David Herbst, AFP-Montana State Director and Andrew Clark, executive director of yes. every kid.
Today’s Supreme Court decision in Espinoza v. Montana is a victory for families and students — bringing us one step closer to ensuring that every kid has access to every educational option. This action by the Court is a monumental step toward providing students with more freedom in finding the right education — one that meets their individual needs.
In 2015, AFP-Montana lobbied for and the Montana legislature created a scholarship that took advantage of private donations to offer scholarships to families that expand their ability to choose private schools, if appropriate for their kids. The program was intended to benefit all students — in both religious and non-religious schools. But, citing the Montana Constitution’s “Blaine Amendment”, the state’s Department of Revenue, excluded students who attend religious schools. Affected families took the matter to court to defend their child’s right to education freedom regardless of whether the school had a religious affiliation.
Last year, Americans for Prosperity and yes. every kid. filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in support of those families. Today, the court ruled in a way that guarantees those families equal access to an education that meets the child’s needs.
Americans for Prosperity and yes. every kid. believe it’s never been more important to ensure every kid has access to every imaginable education experience, and today’s decision from the U.S. Supreme Court is great news for students and families. A student’s educational options and future shouldn’t be determined by an arbitrary ZIP code. We should explore all options to create new pathways to ensure students have more flexibility in their education. That’s especially true in a post-COVID-19 world where families need more options than the standardized model that may or may not work for their child.
We all understand how critical it is for our children to get the best education possible. It is critical to their future, and to success later in life. Politicians and bureaucrats should never stand in the way. Today’s decision by the United States Supreme Court recognizes that, and gives more kids a better chance to succeed.
