Thu May 22 19:40:00 UTC 2025: ## Supreme Court Deadlock Kills Oklahoma Catholic Charter School
**Washington D.C.** – The Supreme Court effectively blocked the opening of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in Oklahoma on Thursday, resulting in a 4-4 deadlock. This outcome upholds a lower Oklahoma court ruling that invalidated the state charter school board’s approval of the school, which would have been the nation’s first publicly funded religious charter school.
The tie leaves the broader national question of religious charter schools unresolved. The proposed K-12 online school, backed by the Catholic Church in Oklahoma, aimed to provide education “faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ.” Opponents argued that taxpayer funding of the school would violate the separation of church and state, drain resources from existing public schools, and potentially destabilize charter school regulations across the country.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case, leaving only eight justices to participate. While she did not disclose the reason for her absence, she has personal connections to an advisor of the school.
While the court did not reveal the breakdown of the vote, indications from oral arguments suggested a partisan split. Four conservative justices appeared to favor the school, while the three liberal justices seemed opposed. Chief Justice John Roberts appeared to be the deciding vote, ultimately siding with the liberals to produce the tie.
The case arrived at the Supreme Court amid growing efforts in conservative-leaning states to introduce religion into public education. The fate of St. Isidore could impact other cases, such as Louisiana’s requirement for posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms, and Oklahoma’s mandate for placing the Bible in public schools.
While St. Isidore had planned to open its virtual doors last fall to its initial 200 students, the Supreme Court’s decision has halted those plans. The question of whether the school should be classified as public or private remains a key point of contention, particularly given the common characteristics of charter schools. They are publicly funded, free, open to all, comply with anti-discrimination laws, and subject to oversight. However, they are also governed by independent boards separate from traditional public school systems.
The issue of religious charter schools could potentially return to the Supreme Court in the future.
First Piper 