Catholic and public school officials here see considerable impact in the Minnesota Supreme Court decision declaring unconstitutional income tax credits to parents of private schools pupils. The effect on the Baptist and Lutheran school systems in New Ulm will not be as great. The Very Rev. Antony Leifeld, pastor of Cathedral parish, was dismayed at the decision and said that at this point he had no idea in what direction the Catholic schools would go.“It will require an awful lot of discussions and meetings among the parish committees and other parishioners.” He also said that “very many intelligent and sincere people – well-versed in the law of our country, and also equally determined to uphold the Constitution – are convinced that parochial and private schools which fulfill the requirements of the state’s educational program have a constitutional right to share in monies collected for education. Suddenly they’re all wrong,” he added.

THE PUBLIC schools in New Ulm“could be put in a real bind” if there is a big switchover of students from parochial to public schools, Supt. T. R. Olson told the Journal. Olson said, “We suspect many parents will probably give a second thought to transferring their youngsters if they can’t afford it.” But he said the public school system can’t really make any plans for absorbing such transfers until it is definite how many transfers there will be.

THERE IS no extra room at either the junior or senior high school, with things “especially tight” at the junior high, he said. If there is any increase in enrollment “we will have to take a hard look at our whole junior high-senior high system,”Olson said. Expansion at the junior high versus additional building at the senior high would have to be compared. One alter-native might be to have seventh and eighth grades at the junior high and ninth grade down with the senior high with extra space added on there. There are 850 students at the junior high now.“We are extremely cramped, hurting without any increase in enrollment. It will mean a hard hard look at all our facilities,” Olson said.

THE LOSS of the tax credit will be “a substantial economic drawback for our parents,” according to the Rev. Douglas McLachlan of the Christian School. But the Rev. Mr. McLachlan said the parents had been told at the beginning of the year it might happen and he didn’t expect the court decision would force any of the 52 students to drop out.

THE DECISION won’t affect parents of students at St. Paul’s Lutheran School since they have not used the tax credit. Pastor LeRoy Dobberstein of St. Paul’s said the church never passed the necessary resolution for parent a to clam the tax credit.

PROF. OSCAR SIEGLER of Martin Luther Academy maid he didn’t expect the court decision to have much effect on the school although parents of Minnesota students have been using the tax credit. “Possibly certain parents might be affected but I wouldn’t have knowledge of that,” Siegler said. Mrs. Victor Davis, mother of three children attending Central Catholic Schools and Cathedral High School, said “It looks like we’ll be in serious trouble. I don’t see how the high school will continue to function. It always has been a tight squeeze for the school, and someone better come up with a solution, because I don’t think the public schools can handle too many more students. We want what’s fair, we don’t expect the public to pay for religious education, but I don’t think it is unfair for the state to help pay for non-religious education.” She also thought that eventually some system of public support for private schools would be put into effect, but that it would be a long time in coming, pointing to the lengthy battle waged by private and parochial schools for free busing.

PERRY GALVIN,who has five children in the Central Catholic system, said “I think this is going to be a bombshell for New Ulm.”There’s a lot of people who were marginal as far as the economics of sending their kids to Central Catholic. The only reason they could afford it was the tax credit. A lot of them will be forced to switch to the public schools,” Galvin said. “The New Ulm public schools better start thinking expansion,” he said. Galvin noted that tuition at Central Catholic for second through sixth graders is $140 per year per child. The tax credit of $105 left only $35 for the parents to pay, he said.”It’ll have a substantial economic effect on all our parents. Last year they got a substantial rebate, the maximum allowed, over $100 per student,” he said.

New Ulm Daily Journal