SW News: In the United States, a state school board in Oklahoma approved by vote on Monday the nation's first publicly funded religious school. The Statewide Virtual Charter School Board voted 3-2 to give its assent to the application by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma to set up the St Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School.

The online educational institution will accept students in kindergarten through Grade XII. However, Attorney General Gentner Drummond told the board that the decision to approve the charter school violated the state constitution. “The approval of any publicly funded religious school is contrary to Oklahoma law and not in the best interest of taxpayers,” Drummond said in a statement, which was issued soon after the board voted to approve the new venture.

“It’s extremely disappointing that board members violated their oath in order to fund religious schools with our tax dollars. In doing so, these members have exposed themselves and the state to potential legal action that could be costly," said the attorney general. The vision and purpose section in the school's application says: “The Catholic school participates in the evangelizing mission of the Church and is the privileged environment in which Christian education is carried out.”

Executive Director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma Brett Farley said that they are elated that the board agreed with their argument and application to have America's first religious charter school. Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma hailed the decision of the board. Earlier this year, he had inked a bill that provides a tax incentive to parents in the state to enroll their children in private schools, including ones run by faith communities.

“This is a win for religious liberty and education freedom in our great state, and I am encouraged by these efforts to give parents more options when it comes to their child’s education,” said the governor in a statement.