Oklahoma Supreme Court Rules 6-2 Against Public Religious Charter School

Jun 25, 2024, 04:20 PM

On June 25, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the state's approval and funding of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Charter School in Oklahoma City, which would have been the nation's first publicly funded religious charter school, is unconstitutional. The decision, which was supported by a 6-2 vote, found that the establishment of the school violates both the Oklahoma Constitution and the U.S. Constitution's separation of church and state. Oklahoma GOP Attorney General Gentner Drummond successfully sued to stop the creation of the school after a state board had initially approved it. The ruling underscores the prohibition against direct payments to non-secular institutions and affirms that public charter schools cannot be sectarian.