he U.S. Senate began debate this morning on the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act of 2000 (S-2) and related proposals which critics fear could result in voucher programs and other efforts to divert public money to religious schools.

   The measure follows the April 13 markup of the ESEA in the House of Representatives (HR 4141). There, at least one amendment which would have explicitly permitted states to use federal grants for public and private school programs was defeated. The current version being debated in the Senate, though, calls for block grants and other non-accountable funding which governors could use to establish voucher programs or other forms of aid to private and sectarian schools.

   "This is a high-limit credit card, billed to the U.S. Treasury, for setting up voucher experiments and diverting money from the public school system to religious groups," warned Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists in a statement to the media. "S-2 and the other legislative schemes being considered, like the 'Straight A's' program, would just hand over huge sums of public money to the states, with little or no oversight as to how all of this cash is to be spent."

   Johnson noted that up to 85% of private schools in America are affiliated with religious denominations. "The biggest beneficiary of vouchers would be the Roman Catholic parochial school system."

   "Should millions of Americans who have no religious beliefs, or who happen to be in a minority religion, be forced through taxation to subsidize these sectarian schools?" Johnson asked. "I don't think so."

   Debate on the funding measure is likely to drag out, especially as the expected amendments are offered. Last Friday, partisan groups set up "war rooms" in the Capitol Building to highlight their differences on how the $20 billion in federal K-12 grants should be spent, and who should have control over disbursements. Generally, Democrats want finer accountability and oppose the method of handing over "blocks" of money to individual states. Republicans say that ESEA, "Straight A's" and other programs give more control over education back to the individual states, and create choice for parents.

   With all of the discussion about smaller classroom size and special programs, though, the issue of vouchers and "school choice" continues to lurk. Advocates of public aid to religious schools see the Senate legislation as part of a larger issue known as "charitable choice." These proposals allow pervasively sectarian groups operating schools or involved in other social programs to receive federal funds, thus providing a "choice" on how the money is to be spent. The goal is to involve faith-based groups in the administration and operation of social services.

   School vouchers are part of a battery of "charitable choice" proposals which have been introduced on capitol hill. Courts, though, have been critical of most voucher initiatives, striking down programs in Ohio, Maine, Vermont and Pennsylvania. The U.S. Supreme Court last year chose not to review the constitutionality of a voucher scheme in Wisconsin. The high court is expected to rule later this summer, however, on a Louisiana program which makes high-tech equipment available "on loan" to public and private/religious schools.

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