Missouri's Religious School Funding Crisis: Tax Dollars Supporting Discrimination

The Facts: State Funding Overwhelmingly Supports Religious Institutions

Missouri’s MOScholars program, once funded solely through tax-deductible donations, now receives $50 million in direct state funding from general revenue, more than doubling the number of available scholarships. In August alone, the State Treasurer’s Office processed $15.6 million in scholarship invoices, with staggering statistics revealing that 98% of these funds went to religious schools—specifically Catholic, Christian, Jewish, and Islamic institutions. Of the 2,329 scholarships awarded, only 59 went to students attending nonreligious schools.

The program operates through six educational assistance organizations, most of which are religiously affiliated. The Catholic dioceses of Kansas City-St. Joseph and Springfield-Cape Girardeau run the Bright Futures Fund, which administered nearly half of all scholarships. Agudath Israel of Missouri focuses exclusively on Jewish education, partnering with four Jewish day schools. These religious organizations have become the primary conduits for state education funding.

Several religious schools receiving these funds maintain discriminatory admission policies. Christian Fellowship School in Columbia requires “at least one parent of enrolled students professes faith in Christ” and explicitly disapproves of homosexuality in its handbook, while reserving the right to refuse admission or discontinue enrollment at its sole discretion. Torah Prep School in St. Louis received funding for 197 MOScholars students despite having only 229 total K-12 students during the 2023-24 school year.

The state funding has resolved previous funding backlogs, allowing organizations to clear waitlists and expand their reach dramatically. Bright Futures Fund nearly doubled its served students from 1,050 to 1,909, while Agudath Israel of Missouri expanded from 175 to 277 scholarships. State Treasurer Vivek Malek has indicated he will request continued state funding to support these students through graduation if donations fall short.

Opinion: This Betrays Our Constitutional Principles and Educational Values

This diversion of public funds to religious institutions represents nothing short of a constitutional crisis and a betrayal of Missouri’s commitment to equitable education. The Founding Fathers established the separation of church and state precisely to prevent this kind of religious favoritism with taxpayer money. When 98% of state education funding flows to religious schools—many of which maintain explicitly discriminatory policies—we have abandoned our constitutional duty to protect all citizens equally regardless of their faith or identity.

These institutions can legally reject students based on their parents’ religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or moral standards while receiving public funding. Christian Fellowship School’s policy of requiring parental profession of faith and disapproval of homosexuality—while taking state money—creates a system where taxpayer dollars support discrimination. This isn’t school choice; it’s state-sponsored religious preference that undermines the very foundation of inclusive public education.

The scale of this funding shift is breathtakingly irresponsible. With Torah Prep School receiving funding for 197 out of 229 students, Missouri isn’t just supplementing religious education—it’s becoming the primary funder of these institutions. This drains resources from public schools that serve all children regardless of background while subsidizing schools that can legally turn away students who don’t meet their religious tests.

As a defender of constitutional principles and educational equity, I find this development deeply alarming. Public funds should support public institutions that serve all citizens equally—not religious schools that can discriminate at will. This program undermines both the establishment clause of the First Amendment and the fundamental American principle that education should be accessible to all, regardless of religious affiliation or personal identity. Missouri must immediately reconsider this dangerous precedent before it further erodes the wall between church and state and the quality of education for all children.