Indiana School Voucher Program Benefiting Private Religious Schools

USA Today (8/29, Elliott) reports, "The Indiana school voucher program...has been a boon to" the "more than 240 religious schools, most Catholic, now eligible to receive public funds" in the state. However, the law is now "being contested and sharply criticized by public school officials and the state teachers' union, who contend that vouchers offer a stealth subsidy for religious schools and drain critical funds from already cash-poor public schools." They note that the vast majority of "non-public schools so far approved for the voucher program have religious affiliations," although State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett believes this "simply reflects the fact that the vast majority of Indiana private schools are religious." While the impact on the public schools budget is currently small, some worry it could grow when the cap on vouchers is lifted in 2013.