Religious charter schools threaten to shift more money away from traditional public schools – and the Supreme Court is considering this idea

The Supreme Court is considering whether to allow churches to operate charter schools that teach religious topics like the Bible. Jonathan Kirn/The Image Bank via Getty Images

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on April 30, 2025, in what could be the most consequential case for public education since the court started requiring schools to desegregate in the years following Brown v. Board of Education.

St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond – and its companion case, Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond – asks whether religious groups have a right not just to start public charter schools with public tax dollars but to operate them as faith-based schools.