Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond on Non-Secular Charter Schools and SCOTUS Debate

Opposition to Non-Secular Charter Schools

• 🎯 Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond stated his opposition to non-secular charter schools, calling it 'a bridge too far'.
• 🏛️ Drummond explained that charter schools are created, funded, and overseen by the state, with teachers eligible for public retirement and boards subject to open records and meetings.
• ⚖️ He believes these characteristics make charter schools governmental actors, which is why Oklahoma opposes non-secular ones.

Court's Focus and Potential Split

• 🔍 Drummond noted that the Supreme Court justices appear divided, with some focusing on the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment and others on the Establishment Clause.
• 📊 While he cannot predict the outcome, he indicated that the court is clearly split into different factions based on the questions asked.

Addressing 'Second Class Citizen' Claims

• 🚫 Drummond refuted the suggestion that opposing non-secular charter schools treats parents or students as second-class citizens.
• 💸 He highlighted that Oklahoma offers significant tuition assistance, three times as much to parents for private or parochial schools, compared to public schools.
• 💰 Parents in Oklahoma receive $7,500 per student for private or parochial school enrollment.