Both the Oklahoma Senate and the Oklahoma House have passed similar yet different legislation to address educational funding and problems Oklahoma schools are currently facing.

The Senate took the House Bills and amended the legislation which House Speaker Charles McCall had challenged the Senate to pass without amendments. The differences in approaches and funding issues have lead to conflict.  In the past week, both the House Speaker, Charles McCall and Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat have publicly aired their grievances over this issue and each other.

To send the legislation to the governor would require negotiation between the two houses to come up with a mutually agreeable plan and a passing vote from each chamber on the same legislation.

The basic structure of each plan is listed:

The House Plan

House Bill 2775, authored by House Speaker Charles McCall, R-Atoka, includes a $500 million increase in funding for public schools throughout the state that will fund $2,500 pay raises for every teacher not designated as an administrator; $50 million to be distributed to schools receiving below-average funding from annual local tax revenue; and $300 million to be distributed to public school districts on a per-pupil basis.

House Bill 1935 creates the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act, which would allow a $5,000 annual tax credit for parents of eligible students that attend private schools and a $2,500 credit for homeschooled students.

“This plan works for every education stakeholder in our state,” McCall said. “First and most important, it works for students and supports strong parental involvement in a child’s education. We know the key to future success is a great education, and House Republicans are committed to ensuring each student can attend the school that best meets their needs.

“But as I’ve said repeatedly over the past year, we must accomplish this goal without eroding necessary funding to our public schools and our public school teachers who are so vital to student academic excellence. This plan continues our record level of classroom funding for our public schools and raises pay for public school teachers so they have the resources needed to excel in their jobs.”

McCall said House education policy provides for less government intrusion into local districts and the personal lives and finances of Oklahomans.

This education plan will set Oklahoma even with Florida and put Oklahoma just behind Texas in per pupil expenditure. Additionally, it will put the state ahead of Arkansas and Missouri, and tied with Kansas for average teacher pay.

“This is a policy and funding plan that sets every kid up for success,” McCall said.

Of the additional money appropriated per pupil through the school funding formula, the money may be used only for:

  •  Increasing teacher and support staff salaries;
  • Programs related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) coursework;
  • Textbooks, curriculum and other instructional materials, including instruments or accessories for music or art courses, and technology for classrooms;
  • Increasing classroom capacity and additional institutional space for academic instructs if a school is at full capacity;
  • Fees for nationally standardized assessments;
  • Summer and specialized after-school education programs;
  • Student support services, including health and mental health; and
  • Tuition and fees for concurrent enrollment coursework at an institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education.

Parent tax credits would include:

  • Private school tuition and fee credits of $5,000 per dependent eligible student in each tax year;
  • Homeschool credits of $2,500 per dependent eligible student in each tax year for qualified expenses including tuition and fees for non-public online learning programs; tutoring services; and additional services or materials including classes, textbooks, curriculum or other instructional materials, and extracurricular activities and programs; and concurrent enrollment costs for courses at an Oklahoma higher education institution.

Credits would be retroactive to Jan 1, 2023, to allow individuals to claim the full credit this. year.

The Senate Plan

Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the measures have been vetted, make common sense reforms and will put Oklahoma on the path to a better, more prosperous future.

“This legislation is the result of a collaborative effort, countless hours of work, conversations with educators and input from every member of our caucus,” said Pro Tem Treat. “We have done exhaustive due diligence in putting this together. We believe targeted and meaningful investments are the only way to put our education system on a better trajectory. This package incorporates ideas from various members of the Senate – in addition to the reforms we have already passed out of the senate. This package is the largest, targeted investment in education in state history and it shows that the Senate is here to support our educators, school districts, students and families.”

The Senate education plan includes the following:

Teacher Pay Raise – $248 million investment in state teachers

Each teacher will receive the following pay raise:

  • $3,000 for zero to four years of service
  • $4,000 for five to nine years of service
  • $5,000 for 10 to 14 years of service
  • $6,000 for 15 (+) years of service

School Choice – $100 million investment in school choice (including an income cap)

Income cap at $250,000 per household for participation

  • $7,500 tax credit for private schools
  • $1,000 tax credit for homeschool families (receipts required)

Local Control – $30 million investment in qualitative pay by local school boards for raises for teachers who qualify based on criteria set by the school board

  • Additional $216 million investment in the state aid formula
  • Provide more money for Special needs students and their teachers
  • Help economically disadvantaged students receive more opportunities

Other Senate measures sent to the House include the following:

  • Paid Maternity Leave – This pro-life measure ensures a new mother doesn’t have to choose between her teaching career and her family. If approved, new mothers would receive eight weeks of paid maternity leave.
  • School Safety – Each school district is unique. This legislation gives schools the ability to undergo a risk and vulnerability assessment by the Oklahoma School Security Institute. This will enable schools to have the best plan in place to protect their children. This will create a grant program for districts to address the issues identified in the assessment.
  • Oklahoma Teacher Corps – The Oklahoma Teacher Corps Program aid teachers in the form of paying for tuition and fees for students who agree to teach for four years in a Title I school.
  • Mentorship Program- This measure gives a $500 annual stipend to mentor teachers to provide guidance to new teachers, whether they are just starting their careers or are new to the district.
  • Childcare for School Districts – This will create a pilot program to provide on-site childcare services to specific districts or provide stipends to employees to help cover childcare costs.
  • Certification Payments – School districts will be given additional funding dedicated to pay for certifying teachers..