Supreme Court Boosts School Vouchers in Religious Rights Ruling

  • Roberts joins conservatives in 5-4 decision in Montana case
  • He says states can’t exclude religious schools from subsidies

The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. 

Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

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A divided U.S. Supreme Court said states must include religious schools in programs that offer taxpayer subsidies for private education, in a ruling that could affect more than a dozen states and spur a new push for school vouchers.

The justices, voting 5-4, said Tuesday the Montana Supreme Court violated the U.S. Constitution’s religious-freedom clause when it struck down a scholarship program used primarily to send children to faith-based schools. The Montana court had said the program ran afoul of a state constitutional provision barring aid to religious schools.