A Manhattan Institute report claims that many religious pre-K providers are being excluded from public education programs open to other private schools, despite Supreme Court rulings prohibiting such exclusion. Using online searches, the report points to written state and district policies that allegedly discriminate based on religious status or use of funds. However, these policies may simply be outdated rather than intentionally discriminatory. The report offers no evidence of enforcement or input from religious providers or school officials. While highlighting supposed bias against religious pre-K schools—which serve less than 1% of pre-K students—it ignores the discriminatory practices of many religious K–12 schools, an issue that could become more pressing if the Court mandates acceptance of religious charter schools.

Suggested Citation: Weishart, J. (2025). NEPC review: The persistence of religious discrimination in publicly funded pre-K programs. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. Retrieved [date] from https://nepc.colorado.edu/review/religion