School Board Now Charges Rent To Scouts After Church Wanted Equal Treatment

A report in today's Elgin (IL) Daily Herald illustrates that there is more than one way for school officials to respond to charges by religious groups that they are being treated unequally. After Larkin High School officials refused to recognize a student-led group, the Cross Roads Church for Teens, as a noncurricular student organization, the Alliance Defense Fund complained. The school quickly agreed to include the group in the year book and the homecoming parade. But then another church group-- an adult group called Crossroads-- complained that outside groups like the Scouts were given rent-free use of the schools, while churches were not. In response, instead of giving church groups more access, Elgin Area School District U-46 decided to reclassify the Scouts as a nonprofit community group. This means that now scout groups will be required to pay rent to use school facilities, instead of using them free of charge as in the past.