Following the devastation wrought by hurricanes nearly a year ago, the Puerto Rican legislature this spring approved a new voucher program which would empower parents to choose their child’s school. Voucher awards are capped at 3% of the total student population and the voucher amount is capped at 80% of per-pupil spending.

The program was temporarily put on hold this summer by a lower court ruling, but the Puerto Rico Supreme Court today dismissed the teacher union-led challenge and ensured the voucher program will go forward.This is a great victory for parental choice in Puerto Rico, as a similar program in the mid-1990s was found unconstitutional. United States Supreme Court rulings since then, notably Zelman v. Harris and Trinity Luther v. Comer, have clearly shown that these programs are permissible under the U.S. Constitution.