Supreme Court to Review Oklahoma's St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School Funding Case

Jan 24, 2025, 09:47 PM

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case concerning the establishment of the nation's first publicly funded religious charter school in Oklahoma. The case, Oklahoma Charter School Board v. Drummond, will determine whether states can fund religious charter schools, potentially reshaping the separation of church and state. The proposed St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, backed by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, aims to serve students online while promoting the Catholic faith. The Oklahoma Supreme Court previously ruled that funding the school would violate both state and federal constitutions, citing the First Amendment's prohibition on government establishment of religion. The case has divided Oklahoma's Republican leadership, with Governor Kevin Stitt supporting the school and Attorney General Gentner Drummond opposing it. Justice Amy Coney Barrett is recused from the case, with no explanation provided for her recusal.