The decision from the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board (SVCSB) to approve an application to establish the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School as a religious charter school is inconsistent with the imperative for authorizers to protect student and public interests. The applicant failed to describe how it will protect the rights of all students and uphold federal and state statutes for public schools. Proposals for new learning opportunities that do not protect student and public interests should not be public charter schools. While it’s likely the application will be tied up in litigation for some time, NACSA does not believe the decision made by the SVCSB is based on quality authorizing principles and practices, nor lawful. Charter school authorizers have a clear responsibility to ensure charter schools guarantee equal access to all students and uphold state and federal laws.
NACSA statement on St. Isadore application in Oklahoma