By News Director Jared Atha
A bill that passed through the Oklahoma House of Representatives recently should help local brick-and-mortar public schools says District 57 Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton.
Moore says Senate Bill 229, or better known as the Redbud School Funding Act, proposes using medical marijuana taxes and the Common School Building Equalization Fund to provide annual per-student funding grants to eligible school districts and charter schools.
He says the act, if signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt, could be a big boost for local schools in western Oklahoma.
Currently more than 100 schools in the state that have joined together to file a lawsuit against the state school board for their decision made in March, requiring property taxes to be split evenly between public and charter schools.
By News Director Jared Atha
A bill that seeks to correct funding disparities for brick-and-mortar public schools in low property value areas while addressing charter school funding passed the House on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 229, co-authored by Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, creates the Redbud School Funding Act, which proposes using medical marijuana taxes and the Common School Building Equalization Fund to provide annual per-student funding grants to eligible school districts and charter schools.
The bill came after the State Board of Education’s recent settlement with the Oklahoma Public Charter School Association would have granted charter schools access to local property tax dollars that at present, only traditional public schools have the ability to access. If unchanged, the decision would shift tens of millions of local property tax dollars away from traditional public schools and into public charter schools. The decision was made in part because charter schools receive $3
School funding, charter school issues on agenda at Capitol By: Jennifer Palmer Oklahoma Watch February 8, 2021
The Nichols Hills Elementary School library. (Photo by Whitney Bryen/Oklahoma Watch)
It’s been a disruptive and uncertain year for public education, and initiatives to be considered by the Oklahoma Legislature could continue to shake things up.
Districts experienced huge shifts in student enrollment this year. Most declined slightly, especially in the youngest grades. Meanwhile, enrollment in virtual charter schools skyrocketed.
Some lawmakers are addressing this moment with initiatives to expand student transfers between districts and rework the decades-old funding formula.
Another lingering issue at the statehouse is Epic Charter Schools. How will lawmakers address the findings of the state auditor and inspector’s report, released in October? Among measures to watch this session: