California joins national effort to prevent first religious charter school ahead of pivotal hearing set for April 30
SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) announced today that it has joined 22 charter public state associations across the country in filing an amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of a pivotal case set for April 30. The brief urges the Court to uphold longstanding constitutional protections that ensure charter schools remain public and secular.
The high-profile case—Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond—stems from a 2022 petition by the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa to open a virtual charter school with religious instruction. The Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down the effort, reaffirming that charter schools are public schools and thus must remain non-religious under the law.
“The stakes in this case are incredibly high,” said Myrna Castrejón, President and CEO of CCSA. “If the Supreme Court decides that charter schools are not public schools, the consequences for California and the rest of the country could be devastating, and costly to litigate as new interpretations clash with varied statutory frameworks, funding provisions, state constitutional obligations, case law and practice built over three decades in 45 states, D.C. and Puerto Rico.”
“CCSA and our national partners are united in our commitment to defend charter schools as the fully public schools they are,” Castrejón continued. “Our legal and policy expertise brings crucial perspective to the Court as it considers a decision that could reshape public education as we know it. We will do all we can to prevent the dismantling of decades of progress and innovation in public education."
Read the full amicus brief here.
CCSA filed the brief alongside 22 charter public state associations and is also standing in solidarity with the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, which filed a complementary brief focused on the financial and operational harm that could result from the Court’s decision. Sixteen charter networks in the U.S. also filed a brief in support of the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling, as did interested parent groups.
Oral arguments are scheduled for April 30, and a decision is expected by June.
To coordinate interviews with CCSA President & CEO Myrna Castrejón or CCSA Vice President of Legal Advocacy Julie Umansky, please contact: Ana Tintocalis, CCSA Managing Director of Public Relations and Creative Services, [email protected], 916.666.2274
###
About the California Charter Schools Association
The vision of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) is to build great public schools of joy and rigor that prepare all California students for success in college, career, community, and life. The mission of CCSA is to meet parent, educator, and community need for great public school options by supporting and advocating for high quality non-profit charter schools and sharing their success throughout California’s public schools. Learn more.