Frantic Push to Block Religious Charter Schools in Arizona

How do you feel about these future potential headlines that I just made up:

"Hogwarts America Charter School will Teach Witchcraft and Wizardry to K thru 12 Students in Arizona"

"First Madrasa Charter School to be Run with Arizona Tax Dollars"

"Church of Satan to Open K-12 Charter School on Main Street"

None of these headlines are real, and they may seem farfetched, but the seeds of an idea have been planted, and if it grows, we may see something like this in our future.

Arizona's Attorney General Kris Mayes is fighting to keep this allotment of tax-payer funding from taking root. Maye's is working to block an effort that would make publicly-funded religious charter schools the law of the land.

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Oklahoma Versus Arizona: Blocking Religious Charter Schools

One state is pushing to make taxpayer-funded religious charter schools legal. The case of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in Oklahoma is moving forward. The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board approved a measure to allow the school to operate as a public-funded charter school with a religious mission.

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Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is joined by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state attorneys general to oppose the creation of state-funded religious charter schools across the board.

They've asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block the plan being pushed by Oklahoma, insisting that public schools must remain secular.

Arizona Fighting for the First Amendment

Creating taxpayer-funded religious charter schools violates the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which calls for the separation of church and state.

Kris Mayes believes this clause prohibits government-funded religious instruction and that allowing publicly funded religious charter schools to operate would violate this clause.

Mayes is not alone. She's joining a coalition of seventeen other attorneys general in filing a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to put a stop to this. They're asking the court to reject Oklahoma's push to create the first publicly funded religious charter school.

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If Oklahoma's request stands, it could open the floodgates for other religions, churches, and faith-based organizations to seek public monies to fund religious charter schools. While there's nothing wrong with parochial education, using taxpayer funds could create a precedent unless it's stopped now.

Sources: Hoodline | CA Department of Justice | The Daily Signal | News on 6 | KVOA Tucson