A local school board gives non-public, religious schools money to cover teacher salaries, textbooks, and instructional materials. A group of parents lodge a complaint with the school board, saying that it isn’t right that public funds are being diverted to private, religious organizations. The parents say the practice violates the establishment clause. The school board claims that state legislation enables them to provide funding to non-public, religious schools. It notes that the students attending the schools have both the right to free expression and the right to a quality education.
Prepare an essay in the form of an argument on whether or not the local school board has violated the establishment clause. In your essay, you must:
Articulate a defensible claim or thesis that responds to the prompt and establishes a line of reasoning
Support your claim or thesis with at least TWO pieces of accurate and relevant information:
At least ONE piece of evidence must be from the U.S. Constitution (including amendments)
At least ONE piece of evidence must be from Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) or Engel v. Vitale (1962)
Use reasoning to explain why your evidence supports your claim/thesis
Respond to an opposing or alternative perspective using refutation, concession, or rebuttal
