The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case regarding St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, a proposed taxpayer-funded religious charter school in Oklahoma. The school’s funding was blocked by lower courts, citing First Amendment restrictions on government endorsement of religion.
St. Isidore, a collaboration between the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, plans to provide virtual learning from kindergarten to high school. While charter schools in Oklahoma are publicly funded, St. Isidore aims to teach religion as truth, unlike existing secular-affiliated charter schools.
The school would cost taxpayers up to $25.7 million over five years. Critics, including the Freedom From Religion Foundation, oppose public funding for religious education, citing constitutional concerns. Supporters argue the Constitution protects St. Isidore’s right to operate according to its faith.
Oklahoma’s legal landscape is divided. In 2023, the state school board approved the school’s creation, but Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit to block it, citing violations of state and federal laws. Oklahoma’s Supreme Court ruled against St. Isidore, deeming its funding arrangement unconstitutional.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority has previously expanded religious rights, raising the stakes for this case. A decision is expected by June.
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