Supreme Court 4-4 Tie Blocks Oklahoma Publicly Funded Catholic Charter School

The U.S. Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on whether to allow public funding for the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual Charter School in Oklahoma, effectively upholding the state Supreme Court's ruling that such funding is unconstitutional. This tied decision means the Oklahoma ruling remains in place but sets no national precedent. The case raised key issues about whether charter schools are public or private entities and if excluding religious charter schools from funding violates the Free Exercise Clause. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself due to prior ties with the school's legal advisors, leaving Chief Justice John Roberts as the likely swing vote who appeared to side with the liberals. Advocates for the school argue this is a fight for parental rights and religious freedom, while opponents warn it would blur church-state separation and affect public education funding. The case may return to the Supreme Court in the future with all nine justices participating to resolve these unresolved constitutional questions.