Can charter schools be religious? If so, what does that mean for public education?

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Wednesday in a case that could transform public education in the Unites States. For the first time, the justices are being asked to decide whether overtly religious schools may be publicly funded charter schools.

Like 45 other states, Oklahoma has enacted a charter school system to allow some schools more flexibility, autonomy and specialization.

Under both the state and federal laws, charter schools are defined as public schools. They are established by the state, funded by the state, closely supervised by the state and can be unilaterally closed by the state. And most importantly for Wednesday's case, charter schools by law must be non-sectarian.