The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in a potentially explosive case that could redefine the boundaries of religious freedom and public education in America. At the center is St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in Oklahoma, which is seeking public funding to become the nation’s first religious charter school.

The outcome could set a sweeping national precedent for other faith-based schools hoping to tap into public education dollars.

St. Isidore’s bid was initially approved by Oklahoma’s Statewide Virtual Charter School Board in June 2023, but that decision was challenged in court. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the school’s public funding violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which bars government endorsement of religion.

But conservative lawmakers—and the Trump-aligned legal movement—say that interpretation is outdated and discriminatory. Five Republican senators, including Sens. Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, and James Lankford, filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the Oklahoma ruling.

Their argument hinges on the Constitution’s Free Exercise Clause, which prohibits the government from penalizing individuals or organizations for practicing their faith.

“It’s no secret that parents want to educate their children in line with their values,” said Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, who is backing the school. “And a public good shouldn’t be denied to anyone based on their religion.”

This debate echoes recent conservative victories at the Supreme Court, including 2020’s Espinoza v. Montana, where the Court ruled that states offering school aid could not exclude religious institutions simply because of their faith-based identity.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority in Espinoza, said, “A State need not subsidize private education. But once it decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious.”

The left, unsurprisingly, is melting down over this case. Opponents argue that allowing St. Isidore to receive public funds will blur the lines between church and state and undermine the idea that charter schools are public institutions.

Starlee Coleman, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, warned that if the court sides with St. Isidore, it could “redefine charter schools as private,” threatening the broader movement’s access to government funding.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, has also taken the unusual step of opposing the religious charter school, claiming that funding it would violate constitutional limits.

But grassroots momentum is with St. Isidore. In addition to lawmakers and school choice advocates, Trump’s conservative base sees this case as part of a broader effort to push back against secularism and restore religious liberty.

This latest battle over faith and education comes as President Trump’s administration continues its aggressive campaign to empower parents and expand school choice options—including religious schools. Trump’s education advisors have hailed the St. Isidore case as a golden opportunity to break the stranglehold of woke public education and give families more control over their children’s values and learning.

If the court rules in favor of St. Isidore, expect a wave of applications from religious schools across the country eager to join the charter system and access public funding. That could be a game-changer for Christian education in America—and a nightmare for teachers unions and left-wing activists desperate to maintain control of the classroom.

The stakes are high. A victory for St. Isidore could reshape the future of public education and establish once and for all that religious liberty doesn’t end at the schoolhouse door. The justices are expected to issue a ruling by early summer.