In Wisconsin v. Yoder, what did the Court decide about compulsory schooling beyond the 8th grade?

• A. It is constitutional
• B. It is unconstitutional because free exercise of religion outweighs the state's interest
• C. It is unconstitutional because Amish must send children to all remaining grades
• D. It is constitutional if parents provide home-schooling

Answer: (B)

The key idea is how religious freedom is weighed against the government’s interest in education. The Court said that forcing Amish children to attend school beyond the eighth grade would place a substantial burden on their sincere religious beliefs and way of life. Because the Amish community’s religious practice and social structure rely on limited formal schooling, the state’s interest in universal high-school completion was not compelling enough in this context to override that religious exercise. So, applying the compulsory-education law to Amish families in this way was unconstitutional under the Free Exercise Clause. The decision recognizes that, in this specific situation, protecting religious liberty can take priority over the state’s education goal.