Indiana Supreme Court to Hear Voucher Arguments

The Indiana Supreme Court will decide whether the nation's largest school voucher program violates the state constitution.

The court has scheduled arguments for and against the program for Nov. 21.

Opponents led by the Indiana State Teachers Association want the justices to overturn the voucher law, which has been upheld by a lower court. Opponents claim the program violates a state constitutional ban on government support of churches because it compels taxpayers to pay for schools that teach religion.

The Indiana attorney general's office and other groups defending the law argue that nobody is being compelled because parents are free to send their children to any school they want _ public, private or parochial.

Officials say Indiana's voucher program has about 9,000 students, making it the nation's largest such program.