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June 15, 2023
Originally published in the Oklahoman
Every child in Oklahoma deserves to thrive in an educational environment that best suits their specific needs while striving to reach their full God-given potential ― whether that be in a public school, home school or private school. With underserved students in mind, a new option will soon be available to families statewide with Oklahoma’s first virtual school based on the Catholic tradition of excellence in education.
The St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School is set to open in the fall of 2024, providing innovative educational options for underserved populations, particularly for students in rural areas, including Hispanic and Native communities, and those across the state with special educational needs. It will be the first religious-based charter school in the United States.
The school will operate similarly to the handful of virtual school options already available in the state but will be founded in the Catholic intellectual tradition of excellence that has been part of the mission of the Catholic Church for centuries and the standard in education since the first Catholic school in the United States opened in the 1700s.
As Pope Francis reminded us, Catholic education is unique in combining innovative ways of uniting learning with best practices so that teachers can serve the whole person in a process of integral human development.
“In short, this means forming the head, hands and heart together: preserving and enhancing the link between learning, doing and feeling in the noblest sense.”
While parents and families are a child’s first teachers, St. Isidore virtual school will provide a much-needed opportunity for thousands of Oklahoma children who find traditional school difficult or frustrating because of learning differences such as dyslexia that may be underserved in their area or for which a program is unavailable.
As with Oklahoma’s more than 30 Catholic schools, the virtual school will be open to all children no matter where they live in Oklahoma and regardless of their religious traditions or cultural backgrounds.
Starting any school is costly, which often leads to fewer options for underserved families, especially outside of the metropolitan areas of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. A virtual school allows current faculty and staff to join specially trained teachers and professionals to offer a transformative educational experience.
We are excited to present this historic opportunity as a joint venture of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa to meet the educational needs in our state, as well as to foster a desire to seek wisdom and truth and to truly develop a recognition of our responsibility to transform and enrich the world.
The Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley
The Most Rev. David A. Konderla
The Most Rev. Paul S. Coakley is archbishop of Oklahoma City and secretary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; the Most Rev. David A. Konderla is bishop of Tulsa and a member of the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.