A state ruling that determined the proposal to be unconstitutional remains in effect, as Oklahoma’s endeavor to establish the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school has been halted by a 4–4 impasse in the U.S. Supreme Court.
In the case, the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa proposed the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, an online K-12 institution. The school intended to integrate Catholic doctrine into its curriculum while receiving public funding. The arrangement had been previously determined to be in violation of constitutional protections that separate church and state by Oklahoma’s highest court.
After Justice Amy Coney Barrett withdrew from the case as a result of her prior academic affiliations with the subject, the Supreme Court divided. Although the case is unable to establish a binding national precedent due to the impasse, the state court’s decision remains in effect in the absence of a majority.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond expressed his approval of the outcome, characterizing it as a standing up for constitutional principles. Governor Kevin Stitt and State Superintendent Ryan Walters, however, expressed their dissatisfaction and committed to continuing their efforts to support religious charter schools, whether through new legislation or additional legal appeals.
The case underscores the expanding legal and political conflict at the intersection of public education and faith, which is expected to have broader implications in future court challenges.