Oklahoma Considers First Taxpayer-Funded Religious Charter School Amid Legal Debate

Oklahoma is proposing the establishment of the first religious charter school funded by taxpayer dollars, sparking debate over the separation of church and state.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City has applied to open St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, a religious charter school that would receive government funding.
While charter schools represent a hybrid model of public and private education, religious charter schools directly funded by the government have not previously existed in the US.
The legal question of whether charter schools should be considered "state actors" or "private actors" will determine whether religious charters are permissible, and the case could make its way to the conservative Supreme Court.
The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board is currently considering the application in the face of both legal debate and some disagreement from state Republican leadership.