It's the principle of the thing

Star Tribune Wed, 05 Mar 2008 04:32:42 GMT
Edina steps back from church-state line

The city won't issue bonds to help a Christian school pay for its expansion, citing separation of church and state. A proposal to help a Christian elementary school in Edina expand by issuing revenue bonds through the city died Monday night after the City Council raised concerns about violating the separation between church and state. Calvin Christian School had sought $1.5 million in bonds to add about 10,000 square feet to its building at 4015 Inglewood Avon on Edina's northern edge. The school, which has been at the site since 1961, enrolls about 225 students at that location. Advocates for the school said the addition would add nonreligious space to the building, including tripling the size of the library, adding administrative offices and building more space for enrichment programs. But the council, acting as the city's Housing and Redevelopment Authority, voted 4-1 against the proposal. Last week, the city had received a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota urging the city not to issue the bonds, arguing that to do so would make "a reasonable observer ... easily conclude that this program is designed solely to advance the religious purposes of Calvin Christian School." ... But most council members said they were uncomfortable with the proposal. Though supporters drew a parallel between bonding for the school and an earlier agreement to issue bonds for the relocation of the state headquarters of the faith-based nonprofit Volunteers of America (VOA) to Edina, Council Member Joni Bennett said that was a different thing. VOA works on housing issues, and its relocation brought many jobs into Edina, unlike the school expansion, she said. [emphasis added]

[[keywords: LandUse;Legal;Officials;Metro;]]