Supreme Court to Rule

The US Supreme Court will be hearing arguments for and against the constitutionality of Arizona’s Private School Tuition Tax Credit Law on November 3, 2010. The outcome of this landmark case will impact all families who count on tax credit donations to help cover a portion of their child’s tuition through ACSTO recommended scholarship funds.

According to Steve Yarbrough, the Arizona State Legislator who has championed school choice: “This case is at the epicenter of school choice…school choice is the great civil rights issue of this century…it could be our Brown vs. Board of Education.”

Mr. Yarbrough and all others involved in the case are praying that we will prevail. He feels somewhat optimistic and actually relieved that the Supreme Court will finally hear this case. If we do prevail, then the yearly fight here in Arizona against this law may subside.

If it does go down, however, the case will be sent back to the Federal District Court in Arizona who would necessarily follow the 9th Circuit and the law would be crippled. Either way, the law will stand for 2010. If it does fail, it is unknown how it will affect the law for 2011 and whether or not tax credit donations can be made for the 2011 tax year.

Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization (ACSTO), which Steve Yarbrough founded and directs, is the Student Tuition Organization named in the case and represents the constitutionality of the Arizona Private School Tuition Tax Credit Program. ACSTO will be represented at the Supreme Court by attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund.

Yarbrough said 13 State Attorney Generals as well as the Solicitor General of the United States have come down on “our” side so far. Also standing behind ACSTO in this case are the Catholic, Jewish, Evangelical faith communities; the American Center for School Choice; and the Center for Arizona Policy.

Opposing the Tax Credit Law are the ACLU, National Education Association (NEA), and a number of organizations heralding the separation of church and state.

Please set aside time for your family to pray on November 2, 2010, preceding the hearing. Please pray fervently. The outcome will not only affect all private schools.

“The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.” James 5:16

If the law stands, this ruling may open the door for other states to pass a similar law enabling more families across America to realize their dream of a private, Christian education for their children.

God has His hand in all of this and will touch the hearts of the Supreme Court judges on the morning of November 3, 2010.

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