Oklahoma’s Religious Charter School Funding Blocked After US Supreme Court Tie

The state of Oklahoma cannot give public money to what would have been the first religious charter school in the US. This is because the US Supreme Court tied 4-4 on the case.

The tie means the lower Oklahoma State Supreme Court’s decision stands. That court said the school breaks the US Constitution.

An Oklahoma school board said yes to a charter school run by the Catholic Church in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The school would get about $23.3 million in state money over five years.

A charter school uses taxpayer money but is run on its own.

This Supreme Court decision is not a rule for the whole country. The court might hear similar cases later.

The court did not say who voted which way. But they seemed split by political views in April.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, picked by former President Trump, did not take part. She did not say why.

The court only gave one page to say the tie: "The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court."

Many watched this case as a test of rules about religion.

The 1st Amendment stops the government from setting up a main religion. Public school money has long been kept away from religious groups.

The two sides gave different views on religious freedom.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, sued to stop the school. He liked the court’s decision.

He said the school was illegal and that funding it would open the door to other religious schools.

He said, “The Supreme Court’s decision is a big win for religious freedom and our country’s founding rules. It stops Oklahoma taxpayers from paying for radical Islamic schools but still lets families pick any school for their kids.”

The school said no funding for their Christian school was unfair.

They said in a statement they were sad about the decision.

They said, “We want parents to have choices for their children’s education. We will look for other ways to offer Catholic online schooling to all in the state.”

St Isidore of Seville Virtual Catholic Charter School planned to teach about 500 kids online from kindergarten to high school. It wanted to teach religion too.

The Oklahoma State Virtual Charter School Board said yes to the school in 2023, but it caused a big fight.

Oklahoma’s Governor Kevin Stitt, a Republican, liked the school. But Mr. Drummond, the attorney general, did not and sued.

Charter schools are a small part of US schools. Some conservatives want more of these schools so parents can have more say.

Trump’s pick for education chief, Linda McMahon, wanted to cut money for public schools and help charter and private schools more.