Colorado Mother Alleges Religious Discrimination in Preschool Aid Denial, Supreme Court Case Looms

A Colorado mother is challenging the state's universal preschool program, alleging that her family was denied approximately $12,000 in taxpayer-funded benefits because she chose a Catholic education for her children. Erika Nagle, whose children attend St. Mary Catholic School in Littleton, Colorado, stated that two of her children were excluded from the program, resulting in additional educational expenses for her family.

Nagle expressed her belief that the state is discriminating against religious families. Colorado's preschool program, launched in 2023, offers eligible families around $6,300 to cover 15 hours of preschool per week. The program was promoted as a universal benefit, allowing parents to select public, private, or religious preschools. However, Catholic schools participating in the program argue that the state's requirements place an unfair burden on their religious beliefs and admissions practices.

The dispute has reached the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the case. The legal challenge centers on whether religious schools can participate in publicly funded education initiatives while upholding their faith-based admissions policies. Nagle asserted that the situation has led to the closure of two preschools within the archdiocese and is pressuring families to abandon religious education for their children.

She further argued that while nearly all schools have admissions criteria tailored to their specific communities, the Catholic school's practices are being treated differently. Nagle questioned why Catholic families should be excluded from the benefit when other schools receive exemptions for their admissions requirements.

A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood stated that the department cannot comment on pending litigation. The office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.