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Filed under: Education

Steve Groen, the superintendent of Edina’s Calvin Christian School, felt pretty good heading into the Edina City Council meeting last night. A month earlier, the council had voted unanimously to consider issuing his school $1.5 million in non-profit revenue bonds to go toward expanding the school’s library and classrooms. Tonight was the big vote and there was reason to feel confident.

But there was one thing standing in the way of the coveted funds: the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

In a letter sent to councilmembers last week Tuesday, the ACLU of Minnesota implored the council to reject the proposal on the grounds that it was unconstitutional.

“The constitutional test for whether [such a] revenue bond financing violates the Establishment Clause is a three prong test,” wrote Teresa Nelson. “Whether the pass through bond program advances a clear, governmental, secular interest; whether the program’s primary effect is to advance or inhibit religion; and wherther the program presents the perception of endorsement of religion to the reasonable observer. We believe that the proposed revenue bond financing for the Calvin Christian School would fail that test.”

During the public hearing preceding the vote, Steve Fenlon—a nonprofit tax-exempt finance specialist hired by Calvinist Christian—made the case for the K-8 school by naming a slew of other religious schools that had received revenue bonds.

“In the past five years, it’s become a more popular financing tool for these institutions,” he said.

Three local residents went before the council to voice their opposition to the proposal.

“I think it’s terribly inappropriate for the city to get involved with funding religious study,” said Jonathan Gross, who lives near the school. “By their own admission, there is no separation from educational curriculum and religious instruction.”

(The school’s webpage states: “From the sciences to the arts, from the classroom to the playground, every part of the Calvin experience is built on biblical principles and focused on equipping young disciples of Christ for leadership and service.”)

Unconvinced the funds would finance secular-only aspects or that the addition would create more jobs, the council rejected the resolution.

“I see no way to distinguish between the secular and sectarian,” said Republican-turned-DFLer Mayor James Hovland, who announced he’s running for Congress in Minnesota’s 3rd District last month. “I join my colleagues for their reasons expressed in rejecting this motion.”

The only “yea” came from Scot Housh, who is making a bid to replace Hovland as mayor.

After the vote, Superintendent Groen and his cohorts gathered in the hallway to lick their wounds.

“I’ve done hundreds of these things and this is the first one I’ve seen that’s been turned down,” said a dejected Fenlon.

Calvin Christian officials say the renovation—which has been ongoing since December—will continue as planned.

“We’ll either go back to the city and ask them to reconsider or find some other means of payment,” said Jim De Young, the school’s Development Director.

Posted by Matt Snyders at March 4, 2008 3:17 PM

« U of M: Your kids are fat because they don't eat breakfast | Main | Machinists back Franken »

Comments

Why don't they get money from the school children's parents? Why do they always beg for money from the government, jeez.

Posted by: Brandon at March 6, 2008 6:20 AM

The comment by Brandon is really ignorant. Families who send children to private schools still pay taxes. Those taxes pay for public school education, which those families do not use. So, if it costs $8,000 per year to educate a child in public school, families who send two children to private schools pay $16,000 per year for a service they do not use. Multiply that by by 12 years and the amount is $192,000. Begging for money from the government? Puleeze. The government should be thankful for people who send their kids to private school because the government is getting money for doing nothing. Far from begging for money, we are helping to keep the whole miserable public school system afloat. And there will be the inevitable argument, "Well, it's your choice to send your kids to private school." Really? Frankly, I'd like nothing better than to send my children to public school. I went to public school. But the whole experience is such a disaster--the product is so inferior--that I cannot do it in good conscience. So, nice work Edina. Keep biting the hand that feeds you.

Posted by: Linda at March 6, 2008 9:30 AM

Turning away from the challenge of public
schools, and then draining money from
the taxpayers that would otherwise be
available for those public schools is
the problem.

That, and the underlying problem of
under-taxing the 10% of our nation that
now owns 90% of our wealth and income.

Think about it - 90% of us are fighting
over the bottom 10% of our money. And it
is our money. Who pays for the aircraft
carriers? It ain't them - it's us. So
let's fight together for a fair and
progressive taxation system that will let
us keep enough of our money for our
needs down here - where 90% of us Americans
are.

Posted by: LimaBN at March 8, 2008 6:01 AM

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Filed under: Education

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