Oklahoma Approves First Taxpayer-Funded Religious School in U.S.

The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board in Oklahoma has approved the application by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma to establish the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School, which would be the first publicly funded religious school in the US. The online public charter school would be open to students across the state in kindergarten through grade 12. The decision has been criticized by the state's attorney general and the Americans United for Separation of Church and State, who have warned of potential legal action. However, Oklahoma's Republican Governor Kevin Stitt has praised the board's vote as a win for religious liberty and education freedom.