Attorney General Scott Pruitt said Thursday he would appeal a ruling that invalidated a portion of the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship program, which allows parents of children with disabilities to obtain scholarship money from the state to fund their child’s attendance at a school of their choosing.
A district court judge ruled funds from the scholarship program cannot be used to send students with disabilities to sectarian schools. The judge’s order is stayed pending appeal, which means the scholarship program remains unchanged for now.
“This scholarship program empowers parents of children with disabilities to obtain scholarship monies from the state to fund their child’s enrollment and attendance in a private school of their choosing,” Attorney General Pruitt said. “Prohibiting the use of Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship funds from being used to send students with disabilities to sectarian schools would require the state to discriminate against those schools. That is highly troublesome and why we will appeal the ruling.”
I am offended that ALL children can’t go to the school of the choosing. Why do only these kids get to pick?
The public school fanatics are desperate to kill LNH because it is a good place to start the long march to open school choice. If the legislature will pass the ESA bill next session, that will help a lot. Meanwhile, if people will contribute to Scholarship Granting Organizations like GO for Catholic Schools or that new one, Opportunity Scholarship Fund, it will help a lot of kids whose parents can’t afford private schools otherwise.