A former public school teacher who launched a faith-based homeschooling group was among those who rallied outside the U S Supreme Court Wednesday as the justices heard oral arguments on the legality

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Wednesday seemed open to backing the creation of a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma, a decision that would expand the availability of taxpayer money for religious education in school systems across the nation.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a major case that poses a baffling question: Does the Constitution compel states to fund explicitly Catholic education? In the past, the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment’s establishment clause forbids states from spending taxpayer dollars on religious instruction.