On Thursday, May 22, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision on the case involving efforts to open a religious charter school in Oklahoma. The court’s justices were split 4-4 on the plan to allow Oklahoma to use government money to operate what would’ve been the nation’s first religious charter school.

The split decision means the previous ruling from Oklahoma’s State Supreme Court will stand, effectively blocking the school’s opening.

What we know now (as of this writing on May 22, 2025):
The decision came more quickly than expected in this highly anticipated case, with the announcement made just three weeks after the court heard oral arguments.

The court did not announce how each of the justices voted in the case, but the recusal of Justice Amy Coney Barrett before it began left open the possibility of this split decision. She did not provide a reason for her recusal from the case.

What it means for the future:
Without a majority decision in the case, the court’s decision does not set any nationwide precedent on this issue. It leaves the lower court’s decision in place, which determined that the proposed school would violate the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment limits on government involvement in religion.

The split decision means that other cases addressing the same core issue could be brought to the Supreme Court in the future, though this is typically a years-long process.

What it means for NY charter schools:
For public charter schools in New York and other parts of the U.S. that were preparing for potential implications of the court’s decision, the split ruling has no impact on current state and federal law.

While we always encourage our charter schools and their leaders to stay up to date on potential developments such as these, they should not expect any changes to their operating environment as a result of this particular ruling.

We are happy to help address any questions you may have on this case and we appreciate the efforts of those across our sector to prepare for a variety of potential outcomes. NYCSA will continue to lead our sector in monitoring developments such as these and making sure our schools are equipped with the knowledge and understanding they need to operate effectively.

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