USA: First taxpayer-funded religious charter school approved in Oklahoma in controversial move

Oklahoma City

The US state of Oklahoma on Monday approved the country's first publicly funded religious charter school where Catholic teachings will be imparted into lessons. The Oklahoma State Virtual Charter School Board passed the proposal by 3-2 in a vote, setting the stage for a constitutional battle on whether taxpayers' money can be used to directly fund such schools. 

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa will run the charter school named St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The curriculum would have religious teachings embedded. 

Notably, a charter school is a type of public school that is independently managed but funded by taxpayer dollars. They comprise a small fraction (8 per cent) of the US school system. 

The decision was not welcomed by the state attorney general who called the approval 'unconstitutional' and warned of legal action as it was "contrary to Oklahoma law".

"It's extremely disappointing that board members violated their oath in order to fund religious schools with our tax dollars. In doing so, these members have exposed themselves and the state to potential legal action that could be costly," said Attorney General Gentner Drummond. 

WATCH | WION Pulse: Seattle schools file lawsuit against four tech giants

Prepared for legal battle: Catholic Church

However, St. Isidore’s administration said they were prepared for the legal challenges coming their way. 

"We are elated that the board agreed with our argument and application for the nation's first religious charter school," said Brett Farley, the executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma which represents the Church on policy issues and is behind the proposal. 

“We invite the challenge, for the sake of the country and answering that question,” she added. 

Meanwhile, Republican Governor Kevin Stitt who had made the appointments for the school board celebrated the approval, calling it "a win for religious liberty and education freedom in our great state".

"Oklahomans support religious liberty for all and support an increasingly innovative educational system that expands choice," he said.

Also read | 'Propaganda' vs 'bullying': Groups of parents clash at anti-LGBTQ protest outside Los Angeles school

The US Supreme Court's position on religious schools

The proposal will most certainly be challenged in the courts but shows an increasing trend across the US where conservatives are batting for more religious schools. 

The US Supreme Court, which now has a 6-to-3 conservative majority has already thrown its weight behind directing taxpayer money to religious schools. In separate rulings in 2020 and 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that the states of Montana and Maine could not exclude religious schools from state programmes that allowed parents to use government-financed scholarships. 

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the court's rulings did not mean states had to support religious education but if a state was issuing subsidies to any private schools, the religious ones may not be discriminated against. 

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: