Preschools with Biblical Beliefs Win Case

A federal court in Colorado ruled that Catholic preschools cannot be excluded from receiving funding after the state tried to block two schools from receiving funds based upon their Biblical beliefs.

The court deemed Colorado’s decision as being unconstitutional.

The lawsuit was filed by Becket Law, a non-profit legal group, last August.

Through the case, the group sought to protect the ability of Colorado families who choose to send their children to Catholic schools to still be able to take part in Colorado’s universal preschool program (UPK).

Through the UPK program, funding is provided for 15 hours per week through Denver’s Department of Early Childhood. Throughout the state there are more than 40,000 families who utilize this program in having their children attend private, public, and faith-based preschools.

The lawsuit came about after the state decided to deny funding to families whose children attend St. Mary Catholic Parish and St. Bernadette’s Catholic preschools.

Why did the state make this decision? Because the preschools require staff and families to share their religious beliefs.

According to the preschool’s policies, staff are required to sign contracts which outline their agreement to uphold Catholic teachings on a plethora of issues from marriage to life in the womb to human sexuality.

Families who choose to put their children in these educational environments must also acknowledge that these are Catholic institutions whilst having an understanding of the Catholic church’s position on these subjects.

In the court’s opinion, Colorado seeking to exclude these preschools from receiving funding due to their requirements that those in attendance must share Catholic beliefs “created an unworkable scheme that breaches the appropriate limits on state power.”

Meanwhile, the state also failed to provide enough “compelling interest” for excluding these schools.

District Judge John Kane wrote:

“The department has allowed faith-based providers to deny children and families equal opportunity based on their religious affiliation, or lack thereof,… and has cited no compelling interest for permitting that discrimination while denying plaintiffs’ request for a related exemption.”

Thanks to the efforts of Becket Law, the Archdiocese of Denver Catholic preschools is able to take part in the state’s universal preschool program.

In a press release by Becket Law, the group affirmed that:

“Families should be free to choose to send their kids to a Catholic preschool without forfeiting a public benefit—especially one the government has described as ‘universal.”’

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