Suit Challenging Indiana Charter School Law Mostly Survives Motion To Dismiss

In Indiana Coalition for Public Education v. McCormick, (SD IN, Nov. 29, 2017), an Indiana federal district court refused to dismiss standing and Establishment Clause challenges by an education advocacy group to the provision in Indiana's Charter School Act that gives religious institutions the power to authorize charter schools.  The court said in part:

Authorizers make important decisions about who may establish charter schools and under what circumstances a charter school may be established, which includes details such as the educational methodology the school will employ. Additionally, charter schools are publicly funded and, insofar as they draw students from public school corporations, their funding may result in a shift of public funds away from other schools. These decisions, when made by a religious institution, may raise Establishment Clause concerns....

The court however dismissed federal and state constitutional challenges to a provision that allows religious authorizers’ to receive an administrative fee of 3% of state funding.