Colorado Supreme Court strikes down state voucher program

Published: 2004-07-02

DENVER (CNS) -- Citing the state constitution's "local control" provision, a divided Colorado Supreme Court ruled 4-3 June 28 to strike down a school voucher program called the Colorado Opportunity Contract Pilot Program. Supporters of the program say the ruling is merely a narrow, technical point that the Legislature is expected to address and resolve when the next regular session convenes in January. The Opportunity Contract program would have enabled 20,000 poor, low-achieving students to opt out of public schools in low-performing Colorado school districts and receive $4,500 each in tuition aid to attend qualified private schools. The pilot program was the first state voucher plan to be passed after the U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 ruled in favor of an Ohio voucher program for Cleveland students. But Colorado's high court ruled that because the program was to be funded in part with local tax dollars local districts must have control over the educational instruction paid for with those dollars.

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