Editorial:Churches shouldn't be in schools

A long battle over whether churches should be allowed to hold worship services in public school buildings would finally be over after almost two decades -- if not for the State Legislature.

The services violate long held principles on the separation of church and state, and they shouldn't be permitted. But attempts by New York City officials to bar the practice have been tied up in various courts since 1994. Finally, in June, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld the city's prohibition, now slated to take effect on Sunday. The court didn't say definitively whether worship services in public buildings after hours violate the U.S. Constitution -- though it suggested they might.

That left a window for legislative mischief.

The State Senate passed a bill Monday that would allow the church services to continue. It's likely headed for a vote soon in the Assembly. It should be rejected.

The courts have been clear that some religious-themed activities, such as student religious clubs, are permissible in public schools. But by hosting regular, weekly church services, school buildings become known in their communities as places of worship. They effectively become churches.

It may be a hardship for some of the 160 congregations worshipping in schools to find other spaces. But while the courts left some ambiguity about where the line separating church and state should be drawn, regular worship services in public buildings certainly cross it.