#Public Christian schools? Leonard Leo’s allies advance a new cause

[msclaritea]

Public Christian schools? Leonard Leo’s allies advance a new cause - POLITICO

Public Christian schools? Leonard Leo’s allies advance a new cause

A tight-knit group of activists tied to Leo’s nonprofit network are rallying around an Oklahoma effort to create a public Catholic school.POLITICO illustration by Emily Scherer/Photos by AP, Getty Images, iStock

By HEIDI PRZYBYLA

12/29/2023 05:00 AM EST

Groups aligned with the conservative legal movement and its financial architect, Leonard Leo, are working to promote a publicly funded Christian school in Oklahoma, hoping to create a test case to change the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First Amendment’s separation of church and state.

At issue is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma’s push to create the St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which would be the nation’s first religious school entirely funded by taxpayers. The school received preliminary approval from the state’s charter school board in June. If it survives legal challenges, it would open the door for state legislatures across the country to direct taxpayer funding to the creation of Christian or other sectarian schools.

[pscottm]

Public Christian schools? Leonard Leo’s allies advance a new cause - POLITICO