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OKLAHOMA CITY 鈥� After unsuccessfully , an Oklahoma board will 鈥渕ore than likely鈥� have to deny a proposal to found another publicly funded religious charter school in the state.

The Statewide Charter School Board is expected to vote next month on a Jewish charter school鈥檚 application for approval.

Chairperson Brian Shellem said the state board is legally bound to obey an that rejected opening a religious charter school with taxpayer funds. A deadlocked U.S. Supreme Court .

That means, 鈥渨e will more than likely have to deny their application,鈥� Shellem said, though he suggested the school could do an 鈥渙utstanding job鈥� academically.

If rejected, the school founders would have an opportunity to reapply a second and final time.

Shellem said he expects the founders also might file a lawsuit if denied.

鈥淚 would not be shocked or surprised if this ignites another legal battle,鈥� Shellem said. 鈥淪o regardless of whatever happens, I really do believe our board would be sued no matter what.鈥�

Ben Gamla would provide an education that is 鈥渋ntellectually rigorous and deeply rooted in Jewish knowledge, values and lived tradition,鈥� according to its application.

Each employee, though allowed to have different religious beliefs, would be considered a 鈥渟ervant of the Jewish faith鈥� and would be expected to 鈥渦phold the standards of the Jewish tradition in their day-to-day work and personal lives,鈥� the application states.

A Florida charter school founder and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch said he is committed to making Ben Gamla a success in Oklahoma.

鈥淭his is something that鈥檚 been in my head for at least 10 years, if not longer, and I think the opportunity is probably the best in Oklahoma of any state in the United States of America today,鈥� Deutsch said when presenting to the state board on Monday.

Brett Farley, who sat on the board of the now-defunct Catholic charter school, is also listed among the founding board members for the Jewish school.

The application promises a K-12 online-based education with rigorous academics. Ben Gamla, named for a high priest in Israel 2,000 years ago, also would provide instruction in Jewish religion, culture, values, rituals, texts, holidays and practices.

Like Deutsch鈥檚 secular Ben Gamla charter schools in Florida, the Oklahoma school would teach Hebrew classes. Deutsch said the Oklahoma school, though bearing a similar name, is an entirely separate organization from his Florida charter school network.

While presenting to the statewide board, Deutsch said the online school would be open to students of any background. He said he first visited Oklahoma a few years ago to explore the possibility of founding a school and visited with about 20 people, including 10 Jewish parents.

鈥淢y sense of talking to parents was there are a lot of parents that are looking for a sort of a faith-based, rigorous academic program, but there was nothing there,鈥� Deutsch said.

State law and recent court precedent don鈥檛 allow charter schools, or any public school, in Oklahoma to adopt a particular religion. No existing charter schools in the state emphasize the Hebrew language or Judaic studies as Ben Gamla would, though multiple synagogues and Jewish community centers in Tulsa and Oklahoma City do.

An estimated , or .22% of the state鈥檚 total population.

The Ben Gamla application proposes opening later this year with a goal year-one enrollment of 400 students K-12. Its goal enrollment is 1,150 students in five years.

During Deutsch鈥檚 presentation, Shellem brought up the 鈥渆lephant in the room鈥� 鈥� why apply for approval after the board鈥檚 experience with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School? Deutsch gave a succinct response.

鈥淲e have presented an application for you that we believe meets and exceeds all of your criteria,鈥� Deutsch said. 鈥淎nd so, we expect and hope that you鈥檙e going to approve that application.鈥�

The statewide board isn鈥檛 interested in 鈥減aying for Sunday school,鈥� Shellem said after the meeting Monday. Rather, the board is hunting for charters that would produce strong academic results.

鈥淚 believe the Ben Gamla school could deliver that,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think St. Isidore could have delivered that. And we are going to be bound by the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling no matter what, and we will comply with those orders. But, I think it鈥檚 unfortunate that we have to potentially deny schools that are highly qualified that could do an outstanding job for students in the areas of mathematics, science, reading (and) literature because of their desire to teach a religious component.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: [email protected].

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