St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, the school at the center of Wednesday’s case, has not yet opened its doors.
In fact, it does not have doors to open.
If the Supreme Court allows it to proceed, St. Isidore will be an online school, an alternative to traditional schooling that has been growing in popularity for years and proliferated during the pandemic.
Named for the patron saint of the internet, St. Isidore aims to become the nation’s first charter school with an explicitly religious curriculum. It would serve students in kindergarten through high school across the state of Oklahoma, seeking to bring Catholic education particularly to rural areas where many families do not have access to Catholic schools.
As an arm of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, the school would have “a strong Catholic identity,” according to the school’s website.
In religion class, students would learn about Catholic saints, the Ten Commandments and other aspects of Catholic doctrine, according to the website.
But other subjects may also incorporate elements of religion. For example, in science, students would learn about the contributions of Catholic scientists, like Copernicus and Galileo. Sample reading lists for high school English classes include classics like the “Odyssey” and “Don Quixote,” as well as Catholic readings such as “The Place Within,” a poetry collection by Pope John Paul II.
The school, which estimates an initial capacity of 500 students, would also hold two in-person Masses each year, in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
It would be open to students of all religious faiths. But as a private employer, it would be free to discriminate in hiring by, for example, showing preference to Catholic applicants or rejecting L.G.B.T.Q. candidates, an issue that may come up in the court’s arguments on Wednesday.
