In March 1998, a suburban Philadelphia school district voted to provide vouchers for parents to send their children to nearby public and private schools, including local parochial schools.
In April 1998, AU, along with a broad coalition of education and civil-rights groups, filed suit in state court. The lawsuit challenged the authority of the District to enact the plan, as well as the plan’s constitutionality.
The state trial court ruled for the plaintiffs, holding that the District lacked the authority under state law to create its own voucher program. And on December 23, 1999, the appeals court, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, affirmed the trial court’s ruling.
