The justices granted review in OK Charter School Board, et al. v. Drummond, Att’y Gen. of OK and St. Isidore of Seville Sch. v. Drummond, Att’y Gen. of OK, consolidating the two cases into one and allotting one hour for oral arguments. Petitioners must file briefs by March 5, with responses due by March 31 and replies by April 21. Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not participate in the decision to grant review.

The appeal challenges a July ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that blocked the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board from approving a charter for St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School due to its religious affiliation. The state’s high court determined that a religious charter school would violate state constitutional provisions.

The petitioners, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, argue that the ruling discriminates against St. Isidore and violates constitutional protections for religious freedom, citing recent Supreme Court precedents like Carson v. Makin. In that 2022 decision, the court struck down a Maine law that excluded religious schools from a public tuition program, holding that the free exercise clause prohibits such discrimination.

“Oklahoma parents and children are better off with more choices, not fewer,” ADF senior counsel Phil Sechler said in October, adding that the state’s decision to exclude St. Isidore based solely on its religious foundation is unconstitutional.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican who has announced a bid for governor in 2026, initiated the lawsuit against the Catholic charter school, warning that taxpayer-funded religious charter schools could lead to funding for other religious indoctrination, including “radical Islam or even the Church of Satan.”

The case underscores growing national debates about religious liberty, public funding for education, and the intersection of state action with constitutional protections. ADF’s petition also raised broader questions about state action, arguing for immediate intervention to resolve circuit splits over the issue.

The justices’ decision to take up this case reflects the Supreme Court’s increasing interest in religious liberty disputes, an area where it has recently expanded protections. A ruling in favor of St. Isidore could set a significant precedent for religious schools nationwide, reshaping the landscape of public education funding.

Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, a more Trump-aligned Republican who has been rumored to consider a bid for governor, has championed efforts to bring Christian values into the state’s public education system, called the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s decision “shameful” and expressed support for St. Isidore’s appeal.