Charter schools in Oklahoma have been required to be “nonsectarian.”
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday for a Catholic school’s quest to become the nation’s first religious charter school.
Oklahoma’s charter school board approved an application filed by the Catholic Diocese of Tulsa to open a virtual charter school in 2023. In 2024, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond filed a motion to invalidate this contract with the state supreme court, arguing that an explicitly Catholic charter school violates state law mandating that charter schools remain non-religious.
The Catholic church’s charter school application was repeatedly denied by state and federal courts, leading to its appeal to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the Catholic school, it could open an opportunity for more faith-based new charter schools.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the justices of the Supreme Court to be discerning as they consider the free exercise of religion regarding charter schools.
- For state officials to be prudent in their attempts not to “establish a religion” with public funding.
Sources: SCOTUSBlog, UPI News,
