Today, Governor Kevin Stitt released the following statement after the Oklahoma Supreme Court handed down a decision in Drummond v. Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board:
"I’m concerned we’ve sent a troubling message that religious groups are second-class participants in our education system. Charter schools are incredibly popular in Oklahoma – and all we’re saying is: we can’t choose who gets state dollars based on a private entity’s religious status."
Religious freedom is foundational to our values, and today's decision undermines that freedom and restricts the choices available to Oklahomans. I’m disappointed by AG Drummond’s attack on religious liberty and the school choice movement, but I remain hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case and grant St. Isidore the right to establish their school."
The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted in 2023 to approve St. Isidore's application to become the nation's first religious charter school. Governor Stitt has been a vocal supporter of the school and maintains a prohibition on religious charter schools is unconstitutional.