Should states fund religious charter schools? What Americans said in new poll

Natalie Demaree, The Charlotte Observer on Apr 5, 2025

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A majority of Americans said they don’t think states should be required to provide funding for religious charter schools, according to a new poll.

Fifty-seven percent of U.S. adults said states can refuse to fund religious charter schools, while 43% said states are required to do so, according to a poll published this week by Marquette Law School.

The results come ahead of arguments to be heard in late April by the U.S. Supreme Court on whether or not the nation’s first religious charter school — which would be funded by taxpayer dollars but operate under Roman Catholic leadership — can open in Oklahoma.

The state typically funds charter schools as other options instead of traditional public schools, researchers said.

The poll of 1,021 adults was conducted between March 17-27, researchers said. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Americans who identify as Roman Catholic are split on if they think states should or shouldn’t fund religious charter schools, according to the poll’s responses, which include five religious groups.

Born-again Protestants were the only faith tradition represented in which a majority of respondents said states cannot refuse funding a charter school because it is religious, with 58% saying it is required compared to 42% who said funding is not required, the poll found.

Fifty-five percent of mainline Protestants said states are not required to fund religious charter schools, while 45% said states must fund charter schools even if they are explicitly religious, according to the poll.

Respondents who said they aren’t religious and those who identify with another religion were in close agreement on this topic.

Twenty-eight percent of respondents with no religion said the state is required to fund religious charter schools, and 32% of respondents who identified with a different faith said the same, the poll found. For those who say the state may refuse the funding, those numbers are 72% and 68%, respectively.

The Supreme Court of Oklahoma in June canceled plans to open St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, ruling that the school is a state actor, so the school’s contract violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

“Under Oklahoma law, a charter school is a public school. As such, a charter school must be nonsectarian. However, St. Isidore will evangelize the Catholic faith as part of its school curriculum while sponsored by the State,” the court ruled.

The school, however, argues not allowing it to open violates the Free Exercise Clause.

In January, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the decision.

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