Last year, the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which is managed by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to approve its bid to become the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school. The case could reshape school choice and religious freedom in the U.S.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court previously ordered Oklahoma’s charter school board to rescind the contract with the school, citing the First Amendment’s prohibition of laws establishing a state religion. Shortly after that ruling, both St. Isidore and the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board filed separate petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court in October 2024.
During oral arguments, the conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court expressed sympathy for the charter school, citing the importance of nondiscrimination and diverse options in education. While the U.S. Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority and has made several landmark decisions in support of religious freedom in recent years, Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the Oklahoma case. This leaves the possibility of a 4-4 split, in which the case would set no federal legal precedent and the state court ruling would remain in place.
A decision will likely be issued by late June or early July. Click here to read more.