Take one of the five rulings of the Supreme Court outlined at the beginning of this section and discuss what it might mean for educational choice. The Supreme Court does allow direct governmental assistance for religious colleges and universities as long as it is not used for religious purposes. These are public services. When churches contribute to the fulfillment of these public services, they may accept a measure of public support and a concomitant degree of monitoring by government on behalf of the public. Educational choice supports parents and benefits children.
Parents have a constitutional right to send their children to religious schools.
When they do so, however, they forfeit their right given by the state constitution to a free education for their children. In being forced to forfeit that right, an unconstitutional condition is placed on the exercise of their religious freedom. Educational choice remedies this unequal treatment. The First Amendment prohibits governmental hostility toward and discrimination against citizens because of their religion, and calls instead for wholesome neutrality. Governments should accommodate or make room for citizens' exercise of religious freedom unless there is a compelling public interest to limit this freedom.