Oklahoma Board Declines Another Ben Gamla Vote

The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board declined to take another vote on Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School’s application after Attorney General Gentner Drummond said state law allows only an initial decision and one reconsideration. The application previously received a 4-3 vote, short of the five votes required for approval, leaving its status unresolved. The proposed online school would combine Jewish religious instruction with secular subjects. The dispute over whether religious charter schools can receive public funding is shaped by conflicting state and federal court rulings, and the school’s founder has threatened further legal action.