The Senate Education Committee gave unanimous approval to a bill to allow children of school support employees to transfer to their parent’s employing district. Senate Bill 1112 is authored by Sen. Dewayne Pemberton, R-Muskogee, who said the bill was requested by school superintendents and the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA)

“Our public schools depend heavily on their support staff, who are typically the first people to work and the last to leave. Our schools couldn’t function without these hardworking professionals, yet just as with teachers, they are struggling to keep these positions filled,” Pemberton said. “Given that different districts and schools have varying schedules, my bill would allow the children of support personnel to transfer to their parent’s employing district, making it easier for them to get their child to school on time as well as for them to get to work. This is a commonsense measure to make life a bit easier for support staff.”

Currently, the children of teachers can transfer to their parent or legal guardian’s employing district, and SB 1112 would allow the same for the families of school support staff. This includes school employees who are not administrators or certified teachers, such as secretaries, office assistants, janitors, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and others who assist with the daily functions of schools.

The measure will now go before the full Senate for further consideration.