Controversy Surrounds Approval of First Religious Charter School in Oklahoma

Oklahoma has approved the nation's first religious charter school, St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would offer online, Roman Catholic instruction funded by taxpayers. The decision is expected to face a legal battle over whether taxpayer dollars can directly fund religious schools. The approval comes amid a broader conservative push to allow taxpayer dollars to go toward religious schools, including in the form of universal school vouchers. The move has been bolstered by recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, which has increasingly signaled its support for directing taxpayer money to religious schools.