Lawsuits target first religious public charter school in U.S. – By Pamela Manson (UPI) / Nov 28, 2023
Nov. 28 (UPI) — The approval of taxpayer funding for the nation’s first religious public charter school has split Oklahoma officials and religious liberty advocacy groups over its constitutionality.
Two lawsuits are seeking to block the creation of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, a joint venture of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa designed to provide innovative educational options for underserved populations, especially students in rural areas.
One suit was filed by parents, faith leaders and public education advocates. The other was filed by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who says the case is not about the school being precluded from receiving a public benefit and there are numerous public funds St. Isidore is eligible to receive, directly or indirectly, as a Catholic private school.
The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board in June approved by a 3-2 vote an application by St. Isidore for charter-school sponsorship. There are other religious schools that receive some funding through public tax dollars, but St. Isidore would be the first to be fully funded this way.
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