The religious charter school would have been the first in the country. The court declared state funding of the schools unlawful.
On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the state’s approval of the first publicly funded religious charter school in the country violated state and federal law and was unconstitutional.
In October, State Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a lawsuit against the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board after the board voted 3-2 to approve the creation of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. On April 2, the state Supreme Court, which assumed original jurisdiction in the case, heard oral arguments on a contract between the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and a religious charter school.
The case is being watched closely because it has religious consequences in a public charter school context and has the potential to set a precedent-setting ruling. Charter schools are privately administered but publicly funded, and no such schools have a direct religious focus. This is due to the controversy surrounding the use of public funds for parochial education. Schools are free to set their own curricula and teaching approaches.
The court handed the defendants in the case 10 days to apply for a rehearing. However, the verdict on Tuesday is a virtual certainty; it will be appealed.
The school board of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School did not immediately respond to the request for comment.
