Written by Don Byrd
Last year, New York City schools began implementing Mayor DeBlasio’s full-day, free pre-K program. Run in both public and private schools, the program’s current enrollment is reportedly 53,000 children. How does taxpayer funded education in religious schools work? The City pays for the secular portion of the instruction while parents pay for the religious education.
A new push, however, to expand the program to 70,000 children would require some religious schools to make difficult choices to accommodate the required number of secular teaching hours.
The Associated Press reports:
In a compromise outlined in a letter last month from Deputy Mayor Richard Buery, pre-K providers will be permitted to shorten the secular school day if they stay open Sundays so that kids can log a total of 31 hours and 40 minutes of non-religious education in a week. Schools also will be permitted to open on federal holidays such as Christmas.
[The Orthodox Union’s Maury] Litwack called the compromise unworkable.
“Practically speaking, having 4-year-olds attend school on Sunday and federal holidays, it’s not a realistic solution,” he said.
Several religious liberty advocates also question the plan to allow schools a 20-minute non-educational break during the day to allow for prayer. Currently, many schools offer a time for prayer prior to the start of the school day.
