The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a legal case that could lead to the establishment of the nation’s first religious online charter school, based in Oklahoma. The court on Friday consolidated two petitions that had been filed, one by the Statewide Charter School Board and one by St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School , after the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in June that the board’s predecessor must rescind its contract with St. Isidore due to constitutional issues. The U.S. Supreme Court outlined a schedule for briefs in the case and allotted one hour for oral argument. The case will probably be argued in the spring, with a decision expected by summer, although no specific dates appeared on the order. The order did note Justice Amy Coney Barrett “took no part in the consideration or decision of these petitions” but did not elaborate. The case overcame long odds to make it onto the U.S. Supreme Court docket. According to the court, it agrees to hear oral arguments in about 60 to 70 of the 5,000 to 6,000 petitions for a writ of certiorari each term. The case is being eyed closely due to its religious overtones and […]

By : Markus McDowell