A Colorado mother, Erika Nagle, claims her family has been denied $12,000 in taxpayer-funded preschool benefits due to her choice of Catholic education for her children. She accuses the state of religious discrimination in a program advertised as universal.
Nagle’s children attend St. Mary Catholic School in Littleton, Colorado. She expressed her concerns over the state’s exclusion of religious families from preschool funding during an interview with Fox News Digital. According to her, two of her three children were deemed ineligible for the state’s preschool funding program, leaving the family with additional education expenses.
“We are being excluded from this benefit because we are Catholic,” Nagle stated. “In a state that preaches inclusion, they are actively excluding a significant portion of people due to our religious beliefs.”
The contention centers around Colorado’s universal preschool program. This program supposedly offers more than $6,000 per eligible child for preschool education. Catholic schools are challenging the state’s participation requirements, arguing they impose unfair burdens on religious beliefs and admissions practices.
Colorado’s preschool funding program, launched in 2023, provides eligible families approximately $6,300 to support 15 hours of preschool weekly. The program is promoted as a universal benefit, allowing parents the freedom to choose among public, private, and religious preschools. Many Catholic families in the state have sought participation.
Nagle reveals the repercussions go beyond her family’s finances. Due to the program, two preschools within the archdiocese have shut down. This situation has decreased Catholic school enrollment and pressured families to reconsider their preference for religious education.
“The state is dangling a carrot, incentivizing people to leave their faith and abandon the Catholic education they desire,” Nagle commented.
She argues that nearly all schools have admissions criteria tailored to their communities. Examples include prioritizing neighborhood children or those identifying as LGBTQ, along with children with special needs or from low-income families. Nagle notes St. Mary prioritizes Catholic families but is open to others who respect its religious teachings.
Nagle questions if Catholic schools’ admission policies should be treated differently from those at other schools. “The state grants $6,000 per family for preschool education, which can be used at the school of choice. Yet, Catholics face higher costs for choosing Catholic education. Thousands of Coloradans bear this burden,” she explained.
The legal dispute raises questions on religious schools’ participation in publicly funded educational programs while maintaining faith-based admissions policies.
“Colorado shouldn’t force Catholic families to relinquish their choice for faith-based schools. The state allows other schools to serve their communities yet prevents Catholic families from doing the same,” Nagle said. “It makes me wonder, is this paving the way for godlessness? Why are Catholic families excluded from this benefit when other schools have exemptions for admissions criteria?”
The Supreme Court is set to hear the case. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood’s spokesperson declined to comment due to ongoing litigation. Fox News Digital’s Rachel del Guidice covers politics, faith, family, and American culture aspects related to this issue.