St. Isidore Charter School Contract With The State Canceled

The contract between St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School and the state was officially canceled.

St. Isidore was set to be the nation's first publicly funded religious school.

This comes after more than a year of legal battles in both the county courtroom and the state Supreme Court.

This decision means that St. Isidore will not operate in the state unless there's an appeal. 

Attorney General Gentner Drummond said he was pleased with today's vote, saying in a statement:

"The proposed state-sponsored religious charter school, funded by our tax dollars, represents a serious threat to the religious liberty of all four million Oklahomans.”

Drummond kicked this case to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in the summer of 2023. State justices ruled in June 2024 that the school was unconstitutional, ordering the charter school board to cancel the contract.

The board voted to rescind the contract on Monday but had a contingency.

If there is an appeal from a higher court, the contract between the state and the school will automatically go into effect. 

"If you also heard in the motion, the contract will be in full force if the United States Supreme Court decides to overturn it," said the Chairman of the Statewide Charter School Board, Brian Shellem. "This board is always going to stay in compliance with the law." 

State Superintendent Ryan Walters issued a statement responding to the canceled contract:

“The Supreme Court has failed Oklahomans in their latest dismal ruling against parents and kids. They have chosen the path of liberal extremism and Marxism by depriving parents of a choice. It’s shameful, but predictable from a failed judicial system. They do not represent conservative Oklahoma values.”