This Oklahoma Catholic agrees with the decision.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against the state’s Virtual Charter School Board, striking down what would have been the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school.
“Enforcing the St. Isidore contract would create a slippery slope,” the court stated.
You think?!
St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School would have been an online school, mainly aimed at those in rural areas.
From Channel 9:
In June 2023, the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved a contract with St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Catholic Charter School. Attorney General Gentner Drummond then sued the State Virtual Charter School Board, and each member in their official capacity, for entering into a contract with St. Isidore.Drummond argued, that the moment that the virtual charter school board approved St. Isidore’s contract, the school became a public entity, therefore crossing the line of church and state.
“This State’s establishment of a religious charter school violates Oklahoma statutes, the Oklahoma Constitution, and the Establishment Clause. St. Isidore cannot justify its creation by invoking Free Exercise rights as a religious entity,” the court wrote. “St. Isidore came into existence through its charter with the State and will function as a component of the State’s public school system.”
The plaintiffs argued the school would be a private school. Justice James Winchester said Oklahoma law states “a charter school is a public school.”
“As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian,” the court continued.
The plaintiffs will likely appeal. It could go to the Supreme Court.
The New York Times made this snide remark: “The case is likely to be appealed, potentially pushing it toward the U.S. Supreme Court, whose conservative majority has broadly embraced the role of religion in public life and signaled an openness to directing taxpayer money to religious schools.”
Okay, Sarah Mervosh. They can have their opinions without it affecting their rulings.
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