Bishop v. Saunders

Vermont state and local officials are excluding religious families and schools from publicly available benefits. For decades, Vermont education officials have intentionally banned all religious schools and their families from two public benefit programs: the Town Tuition Program and the Dual Enrollment Program.

Case Timeline

• September 2022: Following Carson v. Makin, Vermont’s Secretary of Education told school districts they may not deny tuition payments to religious schools, and religious schools began participating in Town Tuition.
• July 2025: Gov. Phil Scott signed Act 73, which set location, a publicly funded threshold requirement, and class-size requirements for private schools, disqualifying the 15 religious schools that were previously eligible.
• October 2026: ADF attorneys filed Bishop v. Saunders in federal court, asking the court to restore A.B.’s tuition funding and allow her to participate in Dual Enrollment.