Before New York legislators return home next week, they will decide the fate of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to provide tax credits to parents who send their children to parochial schools. On cue, opponents have trotted out trumped up criticisms that the credits violate the separation of church and state, among other dubious contentions.
Approximately 15% of New York families educate their children in private and parochial schools. These schools must comply with state mandates, including those governing curriculum, testing and attendance. Yet their students receive only about 1% of the state’s roughly $26.5 billion education budget.
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