A proposed religious charter school must not receive Government funding according to a decision of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma..

The school, which would have been the first faith-based charter school in the US, was pitched as an online Catholic school for students in rural areas of Oklahoma, with religious instruction woven throughout the curriculum.

But instead of operating as a private school with families paying tuition, St. Isidore applied for status as a charter school, a type of public school that is financed by taxpayer dollars, but run independently.

The plan, which was being widely watched for its potential to set a national precedent, met an obstacle in the Oklahoma Supreme Court, which ruled that a religious charter school would violate the state constitution.

“Enforcing the St. Isidore contract would create a slippery slope,” the court wrote, directing the state to rescind its contract with St. Isidore. Six justices agreed, while two dissented all or in part.