The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the approval of the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school is unconstitutional.
“The St. Isidore Contract violates state and federal law and is unconstitutional,” the court stated.
The ruling mandates Oklahoma’s Charter School Board to rescind its contract with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School.
This decision was celebrated by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, which opposes mixing religion with its mission. “The National Alliance applauds the Oklahoma Supreme Court for affirming the unconstitutionality of religious public schools,” said Eric Paisner, acting CEO. He emphasized that all charter schools are public and should not be religious institutions, ensuring students’ constitutional rights are protected.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has 10 days to petition for a rehearing. The ruling is a significant setback for the church, which fought for months to gain approval for its online school.
St. Isidore’s principal, Misty Smith, expressed determination despite the ruling, stating, “Today’s decision is a setback… I will not give up hope that the Court’s error may be corrected.”
The decision has divided charter school advocates, with some agreeing that it raises issues about church-state separation. Brett Farley of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma argued that Oklahoma’s charter schools operate under a different framework, suggesting they are non-state actors.
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