News Release: Catholic Conference Responds to A.G. Nessel’s Campaign Against Nonpublic Schools in CARES Act Funding

(Lansing, Mich.)—Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) today released the following comments after a federal judge ruled yesterday against the U.S. Department of Education’s rule clarifying CARES Act funding to nonpublic schools to help deal with the impact of COVID-19. As an ardent supporter of nonpublic schools and school choice both in Michigan and across the country, MCC provided for the California court an amicus brief in support of the federal policy. The statement below may be attributed to Paul Long, MCC President and CEO.

“Judge Donato’s ruling, while disappointing, is not unexpected. Clearly the Attorney General went out to California to find a favorable ruling that discriminates against nonpublic schools. Congress included nonpublic schools in the CARES Act to ensure all students are treated equally, without prejudice due to the school they attend. As national policies and a litany of recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings are moving the country closer to equality in education, some elected officials in Michigan continue to prioritize ideological politics over the thousands of low and middle-income families enrolled in nonpublic schools who, like their public school friends and neighbors, are equally impacted by the COVID pandemic.”

Editor’s Note: Read the legal brief and a media statement released by MCC on July 29, 2020 regarding this case.

Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.

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