A split U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked a bid led by two Catholic dioceses to establish in Oklahoma the nation's first taxpayer-funded religious charter school in a major case involving religious rights in American education.

The Supreme Court's justices blocked the creation of the nation's first religious charter school on May 22, reigniting ongoing debates about the separation of church and state in the United States. The justices' split 4-4 decision meant a lower court ruling would stand.

A divided 4-4 high court let stand an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling prohibiting the first religious public charter school in the U.S. Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself.