Attention government:

לא מדבשך ולא מעקצך

We don’t want your money and we don’t want your guidelines.

Yeshivos:
Enough with the poison screening. Don’t let the govt dictate who may or may not attend your school!

BH

Not so. Part of the constitution is to protect religious liberty. The government can not force any religion but they protect another’s religious rights, and the funding under discussion, is general funding, for transportation, food grants etc., that should not be barred due to one’s religious affiliation as that would be descrimination.

Stop asking for government assistance and you won’t have this problem, no?

One thousand percent accurate. From the very outset, years ago, the approach outlined above was suggested. At that time the apologetic approach was ultimately taken and as time went by and it became obvious that that approach was not achieving a solution, finally a federal Civil rights case has been filed on the above mentioned grounds.
Concerning “substantially equivalence”, first of all, the reason why this term was added to the NYS constitution in the first place was simply to assure a proper upright education and that if anyone so desires, to home school or private schooling, should not be able to avoid an education based on a “legal” loophole. I.e. that the legal right for home schooling or “private schooling” should be a real education as the goal of the state (then) was to assure that everyone is educated. Today, apparently, they have completely forgotten about the “soul”, the inner intention, of the “substantially equivalent” clause in the first place.
Secondly, as things stand today, Baruch Hashem, we are NOT “substantially equivalent”, nothing close. We are with Hashem’s help, by far, superior, academically, and most importantly morally and ethically.

Surely, by standing proud and firm for Torah true education, Hashem will grant abundant success AND admiration from all of our neighbors.