A bird flies over the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., August 14, 2024. REUTERS/Kaylee Greenlee Beal/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab Lower court blocked establishment of St. Isidore school Justices have widened religious rights in recent rulings WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear a bid led by two Catholic dioceses to establish in Oklahoma the nation’s first taxpayer-funded religious charter school in a case testing the separation of church and state. A lower court blocked the establishment of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, ruling that its funding arrangement violated the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment limits on government endorsement of religion. The Supreme Court took up an appeal of that ruling by a state school board and the organizers of the proposed school. The case is expected to be argued the coming months and decided by the end of June. St. Isidore, planned as a joint effort by the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Diocese of Tulsa, would offer virtual learning from kindergarten through high school. The proposed Catholic charter school has never been operational amid legal challenges to its establishment. St. Isidore has sought to […]

By : Markus McDowell