Under a measure passed by both houses of the State Legislature, the “home life and family background” of special education students must be taken into consideration when public school officials are deciding whether to place a child in a public school or pay for private schooling.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is weighing whether to sign the bill, which would affect children when it is determined that public schools cannot meet their needs. The bill would then allow the children to be placed into settings that are more compatible with their “home life and family background.”

As Al Baker reported in The Times, "Critics of the bill, including the administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, said the language in the bill was too broad and could cover anything from clothing or food preferences to the cultural norms and customs practiced in Orthodox Jewish, Roman Catholic or other religious households."

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