First religious charter school approved in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Approves First Religious Charter School in the U.S.

In a historic move, Oklahoma has approved the first religious charter school in the United States. The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 3-2 to approve St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which will be funded by taxpayers and run by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.

“Educate the entire child: soul, heart, intellect and body.”

Named after the patron saint of the internet, St. Isidore will include religious instruction in its curriculum with a mission to “educate the entire child: soul, heart, intellect and body.” The school will offer online classes to around 500 students in kindergarten through grade 12 and is set to begin in late 2024. It will receive an estimated $23.3 million in state funding for its first five years.

Legal Challenges and Political Divide

The approval of the religious charter school has sparked controversy and legal challenges. Section II-5 of the Oklahoma State Constitution prohibits public money from being “directly or indirectly” used for the “use, benefit, or support” of churches, religious institutions, and ministers. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the ACLU have both announced plans to challenge the school’s constitutionality, stating that “our public schools must be free from religious indoctrination and open to all students.”

The school’s approval has also divided top state Republicans. While Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt praised the board’s decision, Oklahoma’s Republican attorney general, Gentner Drummond, released a statement saying the school’s approval was “contrary to Oklahoma law and not in the best interest of taxpayers.”

Expanding States’ Ability to Fund Religious Schools

The U.S. Supreme Court delivered two decisions in 2020 and 2022 expanding states’ ability to indirectly fund religious schools through voucher programs. Supporters of the board’s decision apply a similar argument, contending that excluding religious schools from charter funding would violate their rights under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

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