Oklahoma Supreme Court Strikes Down Nation's First Publicly Funded Religious School

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled that the establishment of a taxpayer-funded religious charter school is unconstitutional, marking a significant decision against what would have been the nation's first publicly funded religious school. The court's decision came after the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma's application for the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School last year, a move that was met with immediate legal challenges. The high court's ruling emphasizes the importance of maintaining a separation between church and state, as outlined in the First Amendment, and underscores the unconstitutional nature of using taxpayer funds to support religious education. This landmark decision halts the creation of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which had been set to become the first of its kind in the United States.