Opinion ID: 480192
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Minimum Rationality

Text: 31 Phan next argues that, even if the provisions at issue implicate no fundamental rights, taken together they advance no legitimate state purpose as applied to plaintiff. 6 Although Phan is undeniably correct that Virginia has failed to articulate a valid rationale for its appropriations scheme, we perceive a possible justification, lingering doubts about which require the remand of this case to the district court. 32 To support the rationality of its funding scheme, Virginia relies on cases upholding statutes prohibiting state payments to out-of-state schools on the one hand and those upholding statutes forbidding state payments to church-affiliated schools on the other. While Phan concedes that Virginia could validly select either of these courses, he contends that the state's hybrid of the two yields an irrational result. In short, Virginia would have us determine the legitimacy of each of these provisions separately, while Phan urges that they be reviewed together. Logic supports Phan's position, especially because the Supreme Court of Virginia has stated that all provisions of the Constitution should be construed together whenever possible. Miller v. Ayres, 213 Va. 251, 191 S.E.2d 261, 273 (1972). 33 The legislative history of Article VIII, Sec. 11 reflects a strong interest in promoting and preserving diversity in higher education. Virginia's eagerness to embrace church-affiliated education within the Commonwealth displays a legislative policy favoring neutral support for education, whether sectarian or nonsectarian, and reflects high regard for the role of religion in a pluralistic society. 7 In addition, Virginia's apparent willingness to fund secular education out-of-state without regard to the availability of equivalent opportunities within the Commonwealth undermines any interest that the Commonwealth could assert in ensuring that state funds flow solely into higher educational institutions within Virginia. 8 34 We can hypothesize, however, a rational justification for differential treatment of church-affiliated schools based on their location. The Virginia constitution imposes on the Commonwealth a more severe prohibition of the establishment of a religion than does the federal Constitution. 9 The greater latitude accorded the Commonwealth with regard to sectarian institutions located in Virginia may be understood as reflecting a judgment that the relevant state officials will find it easier and cheaper to determine whether a particular school possesses a primarily religious character if the school in question is located in Virginia. Simply put, Virginia might have imposed a prohibition on aid to students who attend out-of-state church-related schools as a substitute for the increased amount of monitoring necessary to make fine distinctions based on the primary purpose of a given institution. If, as a matter of fact, the amount of monitoring of out-of-state church related schools necessary to assure compliance with the Virginia constitution is significantly more difficult and more expensive than that required for church-related schools in Virginia, then we think that the differential treatment of church-affiliated schools based upon their location is rational and not constitutionally impermissible. 35 But this case comes to us not hypothetically but with a record of some proof as to the degree to which Virginia monitors church-related schools to determine that they afford secular and not theological education. The record, however, is not complete and we conclude that we must remand the case to the district court with instructions to determine fully how Virginia determines the primary purpose of church-related in-state schools, to what extent it monitors and re-evaluates institutions determined to be eligible for financial aid to qualified students, and whether Virginia could similarly monitor out-of-state colleges without incurring significantly greater effort or expense than those attendant on its current method of determining whether an out-of-state school is church-affiliated, all to the end that the theoretical rational justification may be proved or disproved and it may be determined that there is no denial of equal protection in the administration of the Virginia scheme. 10 36 With regard to Virginia's efforts to monitor in-state schools, we note that, at the time the Virginia constitution was amended, the drafters of Sec. 11 stated that none of the church-affiliated schools that it would embrace imposed a religious test for the admission of students or the selection of faculty or served primarily a single religious faith. See supra note 7. Subsequently, Virginia has begun to assist students who attend Liberty Baptist College, which requires students and faculty to sign a profession of faith and adherence to the doctrines of Thomas Road Baptist Church, requires students to attend religious services four times per week, and requires students to complete seven religion courses in order to graduate. Virginia also assists students who attend Eastern Mennonite College which requires students to complete five religious courses in order to graduate and to attend religious services 2-3 times per week. The district court should consider this evidence in determining the criteria according to which Virginia identifies the primary purpose of a college and the attention it gives to monitoring the continuity of that purpose. 37 With regard to Virginia's ability to monitor out-of-state schools at only marginally increased costs, we observe that Virginia's current method of ascertaining whether a particular out-of-state institution is church-affiliated involves review of the school's public documents, such as its catalogue, written contact with school administrators and telephone conversations with school officials. Thus, the district court must determine whether it would impose a significantly greater burden in effort and money to require Virginia to use the same or similar materials to determine whether an institution exists primarily for the purpose of providing religious or theological training. Presumably, such a determination could be made according to such objective criteria as matriculation requirements, degrees conferred, and graduation requirements.