The US Supreme Court has agreed to review a controversial case involving Oklahoma’s first publicly funded religious charter school, which could have far-reaching implications for the intersection of education and religion in the United States. The case will determine whether the Catholic Church’s proposed St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School should be allowed to receive public funds, despite its religious affiliation.
Background of the Dispute
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in June 2024, by a 7-1 vote, that funding a religious charter school would violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The decision came after the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the application for the St. Isidore school, a K-12 online institution intended to educate students in Catholic values. According to the court’s majority opinion, charter schools, as public entities, must be secular in nature, and St. Isidore’s mission to promote Catholic teachings conflicted with that requirement, as reported by the Associated Press.
The Catholic Church, backed by the conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, argued that preventing the school from opening was a violation of religious freedom. “State officials who claim to support religious liberty should not discriminate against St. Isidore because of its Catholic beliefs,” said Jim Campbell, chief counsel of the group, as quoted by the Associated Press.
The Legal Battle Continues
The decision to bring the case before the Supreme Court comes after extensive legal battles in Oklahoma, with the state’s Republican Governor Kevin Stitt supporting the Catholic school’s opening. However, Oklahoma’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond reversed the stance of his predecessor, deeming the Catholic charter school unconstitutional. The court is expected to hear arguments in April 2025, with a decision likely by summer.
Opponents of the school, including groups like the American Civil Liberties Union, argue that public funds should not be used to support sectarian institutions. They have called for the high court to uphold the state’s ruling, affirming that public charter schools must remain secular.
As the Supreme Court prepares to review the case, it is poised to address critical questions about the future of religious involvement in publicly funded education.
