What Happens When Public Schools Mimick Private?

Mark Chancey, in the beginning of his Section II: Pseudoscience and the Bible, begins by stating that, "Courts have repeatedly ruled that advocating creation science in public school science courses is unconstitutional" (51). While pondering this statement, I thought back to my own high school experience in Kingwood, Tx (a North Houston Suburb). My thinking goes as followed:

Private schools are able to teach to specific religions or reprimand students in a different manner than public schools are able to because they rely on independent funding, typically in the form of tuition or grants from parents and alumni. Keeping with this idea, what happens if public schools move towards a similar model? If a public school begins to receive a majority of funding from outside, non-governmental entities, does and should the clear line between church and state continue to be so concrete? If a public school receives 65% of its funding from property taxes and thus, a public school is 65% funded directly from the pockets of parents within that district, should the public school reflect the majority decision of those parents who a provide the school with a majority of its funding? The gut answer is probably not: mostly because if the KKK gathers in one district, this could result in a KKKHS. It seems that because public schools are a public good that is free to all, they therefore should strive to not alienate a group of people for the satisfaction of another.

However, it seems that this may be exactly what is occurring in many public schools throughout the south: not KKKHS, but a blurring between church and state. In Texas, during the 2011-2012 school year, property taxes accounted for 41.9% of all public school funding, at just under $20,766,669,000. This is the largest sum accounted for, with all state funding coming in a close second at $20,341,491,000 (41.1%). If 65% is not the appropriate percentage to override the separation of church and state, what about 83%? At least in Texas, 83% seems to be the magic number. Over the last decade or so, the line between church and state in Texas has been attacked on a multitude of fronts (link). If the state and the individuals who fund the school through property taxes (it is important to note, 77% of Texans associate as some form of Christian) both believe a Christian based education system is the best form of education for their public school, can and should the school consent in this request and begin teaching creationism?

If this is the case (as it appears it is), what does this mean for the teaching of religions in primary and secondary education? It genuinly scares me that many public schools throughout the south are so completely controlled by parents and political parties that they can mold early minds to be biased towards one ideology. While this is innevitable in some households, it seems this molding is now extending beyond the home and into the school. If students are pre-disposed to think towards or in favor of one religion, what is likely to happen in 30 years when the 5-12 year olds in Texas elementary schools become the scholars of tomorrow? This intensional warping of facts and biased mentality against religions (hint hint, Islam) can have long-reaching and incredibly harmful ramifications for religious studies in the future.