If SCOTUS finds religion, the St. Isidore school case could change the face of US education
Washington D.C.: The US Supreme Court is leaning towards creating the nation’s first religious public charter school in a case that could redefine church-state separation. The dispute centers on Oklahoma’s approval of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School as a taxpayer-funded charter, which the state’s Supreme Court later blocked as unconstitutional.
During arguments, conservative justices framed the issue as one of religious discrimination. "You can’t treat religious people and institutions as second-class," said Justice Brett Kavanaugh, suggesting that excluding faith-based groups from public programs may violate the First Amendment. The school’s backers argue that denying its charter status unfairly targets religion, while opponents warn it would effectively force states to fund religious indoctrination.
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The case reflects a years-long conservative legal campaign to erode barriers between government and religion. Recent rulings have required states to fund private religious schools and allowed public school prayer. Oklahoma’s Republican leaders have embraced the fight, with Governor Kevin Stitt calling it "the biggest religious freedom case in our nation’s history".
Liberal justices raised alarms about the implications. Justice Elena Kagan questioned whether approving one faith’s school would require accepting all religious curricula, even those teaching "extremely different" views. A 4-4 split is possible after Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s recusal, which would leave the Oklahoma ruling intact. The decision is expected in the summer.
What is a charter school?
A charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently of the traditional public school system. It is established by a charter — a contract — typically granted by a state or local education authority. This charter outlines the school’s mission, program, goals, and methods of assessment.
A brief history of St. Isidore school
St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School is a proposed full-time, tuition-free K–12 online charter school in Oklahoma, designed to integrate Catholic teachings with a classical liberal arts curriculum.
The curriculum emphasizes the Catholic intellectual tradition, incorporating subjects like Latin, theology, literature, history, mathematics, and science, all infused with Catholic values. The school also plans to facilitate community engagement through local parish hubs for occasional in-person gatherings, sacraments, and extracurricular activities
In 2023, the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board approved St. Isidore's application in a narrow 3–2 vote, marking it as the nation's first publicly funded religious charter school. However, on June 25, 2024, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled the school's charter unconstitutional, stating that publicly funded charter schools must remain nonsectarian and that St. Isidore's religious affiliation violated both state and federal laws.
The case escalated to the US Supreme Court, which heard arguments in April 2025. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself, leaving Chief Justice John Roberts as a potential swing vote. A 4–4 split would uphold the Oklahoma Supreme Court's decision, effectively blocking the school's operation, while a majority ruling could set a precedent for publicly funded religious charter schools nationwide.
As of now, St. Isidore is not accepting applications, pending the outcome of the Supreme Court's decision, expected by summer 2025.