Oklahoma Attorney General Withdraws Predecessors Opinion That State Funding Of Religious Schools Is Legal
ForbesNov 22, 2022
The Facts
An Oklahoma school board that considers applications for charter schools in the state next week will consider whether to approve the application of the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would be the first-ever taxpayer-funded religious charter school in the US.
St. Isidore, a virtual school, says it intends to serve "as a genuine instrument of the Church," which raises questions over the separation of church and state.
The Spin
Right narrative
Excluding religious institutions from applying for these funds is a preposterous violation of the Constitution, as every other private entity is allowed to pursue the opening of a charter school. Affiliation with religion should not be a disqualifier. A religious charter school would provide more options to parents, who have unchallenged say over what type of education their children receive.
Left narrative
We’re seeing the consequences of SCOTUS chipping away at the separation of church and state in violation of the Constitution. Previously, only public schools received public funding. Now there’s a risk that public funds could be used for discrimination or to teach non-secular beliefs to students. The right-leaning court and lawmakers have opened Pandora’s box, and there could be far-reaching consequences.