
The U.S. Supreme Court has announced its plan to review a case centered on the potential opening of a publicly funded religious charter school in Oklahoma. This decision comes following a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court that overturned the state board's approval of an application from the Catholic Church to establish a charter school.
In recent times, the conservative-controlled U.S. Supreme Court has shown a tendency to allow public funding to support religious organizations. Simultaneously, conservative-run states have been actively promoting the incorporation of religion within public schools, such as Louisiana's mandate for displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The upcoming case, which is expected to be argued in late April and decided by early summer, has garnered attention due to its implications on the separation of church and state in public education. Justice Amy Coney Barrett will not participate in the case, although the reason for her absence has not been disclosed.
Last year, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled 7-1 against the establishment of a taxpayer-funded religious charter school, citing concerns that it would violate the First Amendment's prohibition of laws respecting the establishment of religion. This ruling was a response to a previous 3-2 decision by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board granting approval for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School, which aimed to offer primary and secondary online education with religious teachings from the Catholic faith.