An Oklahoma state education board could vote as early as Tuesday on whether to approve the nation’s first religious charter school, potentially setting up a high-profile national legal battle over whether taxpayer money can be used to directly fund religious schools.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa are seeking approval for the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, an online program intended to serve students in mainly rural areas across the state who otherwise have little choice beyond their local public schools.
The school’s organizers are seeking authorization as a charter school, a type of public school that is paid for with taxpayer dollars but is independently run and managed. Though a small number of charter schools may be affiliated with religious organizations, St. Isidore would be the first to be explicitly religious in its curriculum and operations.
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