The U.S. Supreme Court case, Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond, has exposed deep divisions within Oklahoma’s Republican leadership over the role of religion in public education. At the center is St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would be the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school.
Gov. Kevin Stitt and State Superintendent Ryan Walters support the school’s approval, framing it as a matter of religious liberty and parental choice. They argue that denying the charter based solely on its religious affiliation violates the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause.
In contrast, Attorney General Gentner Drummond, also a Republican, has led the legal challenge against St. Isidore, contending that public funding of a religious school breaches both state and federal constitutional provisions mandating the separation of church and state. The Oklahoma Supreme Court sided with Drummond in 2024, declaring the school’s charter unconstitutional.
The case has fractured the GOP into three factions: those advocating for strict church-state separation, those promoting religious inclusion in public education, and those opting for neutrality. This internal conflict underscores broader tensions within the party regarding the intersection of faith and governance.
The Supreme Court’s decision on the case is anticipated by early summer. The outcome could have significant implications for the future of religious charter schools nationwide.
Read Em Luetkemeyer’s full story here.
