Oklahoma could soon have nation's first publicly funded Catholic charter schools

A Catholic charter school funded by taxpayer dollars is likely coming to Oklahoma soon, based on a recent ruling of the state’s outgoing attorney general, with support from the re-elected governor and newly elected state superintendent of public education.

On December  1, Attorney General John O’Connor—who is Catholic—and Solicitor General Zach West wrote a non-binding legal opinion that says a current state law blocking religious institutions and private sectarian schools from state funding of public charter school programs is unconstitutional and should not be enforced.

Already, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City “states it is willing to adhere to every jot and tittle of state law and intends to apply for a charter,” wrote Andrew Spiropoulos, the Robert S. Kerr Professor of Constitutional Law at Oklahoma City University in an opinion piece for the (Oklahoma City) Journal Record.