In a 3-2 decision today, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled the Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) program unconstitutional.

In a state ranked 41st in education (US News), families have now been robbed of the opportunity to choose alternative academic solutions to suit their unique needs.

Michael F. Acquilano, Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer for the Diocese of Charleston said, “We are tremendously disappointed by the news. Instead of prioritizing the needs of children, the court has chosen to punish South Carolina families. Thousands of children from low-income households who have already received funding for the academic year are now facing great uncertainty.

“The Catholic Church believes that every human being is created for more — we cannot limit the beauty of what solid education and formation can provide to a child, a community and to our state,” he said.

“Our Catholic schools have a long history of elevating countless students from situations of great disparity to places of excellence in business and civil society,” Acquilano continued. “We have centuries worth of data and evidentiary support that provide that a solid education is the greatest eliminator of poverty. The ESTF program would have amplified what the Church has done for hundreds of years. We will continue to work for and support children and families in South Carolina.”

Gov. Henry McMaster released a statement in response asking the court to “expeditiously reconsider” their decision on behalf of children in low-income families so that they “may have the opportunity to attend the school that best suits their needs.”

State Superintendent Ellen Weaver said, “Families cried tears of joy when the scholarship funds became available to their children, and today’s Supreme Court ruling brings those same families tears of devastation.”

The Catholic Conference joins the governor in requesting that the court reconsider on behalf of the thousands of students we serve every day in our schools across every corner of the state. We continue to work tirelessly to provide South Carolina families with greater choice in education now and in the future.

Our prayers are with the families who have been deprived of this right to choose what is best for their children.